Lloyd DeBruycker and Richard Glassman’s MUSIQUE TOUJOURS (Musique d’Enfer)
took the lead soon after the start of the $1,000,000
Sunshine Millions Classic
at Gulfstream Park and held for a game neck victory under Jorge Chavez in the
final race on the Sunshine Millions card Saturday. The program, which is in its
third year, pitted Florida and California breds against each other in eight
stakes, four at Santa Anita and four at the Hallandale, Florida, track.
Musique Toujours was the second-longest shot on the board at 70-1 in the
Classic and paid out an incredible $142.20, $54.80 and $24 for finishing 1 1/8
miles on the fast track in 1:49. The John Sadler trainee ended a day that had
been dominated by long shots and started the high-paying exotics, which returned $850.40 for
the exacta ($1), $6,857.50 for the trifecta ($1) and $46,849 for the 3-4-6-10
superfecta ($1).
Zakocity (Precocity) ran in second throughout and finished in that position
by 1 1/2 lengths to pay $23.60 and $11.20 at 27-1. Classic Endeavor (Silver
Buck) was a half-length up on Limehouse (Grand Slam) and returned $7.40 at 7-1.
Finishing the order under the wire were Supah Blitz (Mecke), Second of June
(Louis Quatorze), Lava Man (Slew City Slew), El Don (Cee’s Tizzy), 2-1 favorite
Midas Eyes (Touch Gold), Stockholder (Bertrando), Royal Place (Out of Place) and
Cozy Guy (Alphabet Soup).
Musique Toujours’ only other stakes credit to date came as a close second in
the Claiming Crown Jewel S. at Canterbury Park in mid-July last year. The Cal-bred made his final start of 2004 in late August, running third in an allowance
at Del Mar, and now owns a lifetime record of 19-5-6-2 with $726,320 in
earnings.
Gary and Mary West Stables Inc.’s Florida bred SWEET LIPS (Kris S.) raced in
last for much of the $500,000
Sunshine Millions Distaff S. but was in front when
it counted most by 1 1/2 lengths with Rene Douglas in the saddle. Sent off at 12-1, the
Bobby Frankel trainee was worth $27.60, $11 and $6.60 for finishing 8 1/2
furlongs in 1:09 4/5 on Santa Anita’s fast track.
Fencelineneighbor (Wild Rush) held second by a nose and returned $29.40 and
$13.60 at 39-1 while Dream of Summer (Siberian Summer) was worth $5.40 at 6-1.
The $1 exacta gave back $318.80, the $1 trifecta $2,447.50 and the $1, 9-10-3-2
superfecta $10,748.10.
Sweet Lips ran ninth in the La Brea S. (G1) in her last start and was making
her four-year-old debut here. The chestnut miss now shows a line of 9-6-0-1 and
$425,138 in earnings.
David Bienstock et al’s STAR OVER THE BAY (Cozzene) earned his first Grade 1
win last year and started off his seven-year-old campaign with the same form.
The Florida-bred gutted out a half-length win at nearly 5-1 after being
challenged in the stretch of the $500,000
Sunshine Millions Turf at Santa Anita
and re-rallying under Tyler Baze. The Mike Mitchell-conditioned gray was
unmistakable crossing under the line in 1:48 2/5 for nine furlongs on the good
turf.
Star Over the Bay began the $21.40 exacta ($1), $53.10 trifecta ($1) and
$553.10 superfecta ($1) (12-4-9-11) while paying $11.80, $5.40 and $3.60. A to
the Z (Benchmark) tried to pass the eventual winner but wound up second as the
2-1 favorite, giving back $4 and $2.60. Silver Tree (Hennessy) was worth $2.80
at 5-2 another half-length back in third.
A former claimer, Star Over the Bay captured the Clement L. Hirsch Memorial
Turf Championship S. (G1) prior to running eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1)
in his final start of 2004. He now shows a line of 10-4-3 from 41 starts and
$913,353 in earnings.
Four necks and a head were all that separated the top six finishers in the
$500,000
Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf S., with Al and Saundra
Kirkwood’s homebred VALENTINE DANCER (In Excess [Ire]) getting her neck in front
at Gulfstream’s wire to successfully defend her title in the 1 1/8-mile firm
turf test. Ridden by Jon Court, the Craig Lewis-trained five-year-old completed
the event in 1:47 1/5 and was worth $19, $9.80 and $5.80 at 8-1.
Marwood (Marlin) was up by a neck on Changing World (Spinning World) at 19-1,
returning $15.20 and $9, while show gave back $4.20 at 3-1. The exotics paid
$163 for the exacta ($1), $801.10 for the trifecta ($1) and $6,818.40 for the
superfecta ($1) (9-2-10-7).
Valentine Dancer now owns four stakes wins and improved her record to
20-7-4-3, $900,126.
Miguel Rubio’s RED WARRIOR (Benchmark) rallied from near the back of the
field in the $300,000
Sunshine Millions Sprint to earn the length victory under
Garrett Gomez at 47-1 at Santa Anita. Conditioned by Juan Garcia, the
five-year-old chestnut paid out $97, $34.80 and $9.40 to his faithful supporters
and was on the front end of the $409.70 exacta ($1), $2,133.40 trifecta ($1) and
$10,472.80 superfecta ($1) (11-10-7-13). He completed the six-furlong test over
the wet fast track in 1:08 4/5
Full Moon Madness (Half a Year) managed to hold 2-1 pick Areyoutalkintome (Smokester)
by a head for runner-up honors, giving back $11.20 and $4.80 while third was
worth $3.20.
The race was marred by the break down of Green Team (Huddle Up), who
fractured his left front sesamoid and had to be euthanized, according to Dr. B.
William Bell, who represented the California Horse Racing Board. Bang (Ballistic
Billy) was pulled up when he started bleeding from his nose, but walked off the
track.
Red Warrior was the first California-bred to win one of the Sunshine Millions
stakes on the day and added a first black-type victory to his record, which now
stands at 13-4-2-1, $296,520.
Seven Oaks Farm’s homebred ALIX M (End Sweep) battled with 2-5 favorite Bear
Fan (Pine Bluff) throughout the $300,000
Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Sprint
S. at Gulfstream, but in the end there was no contest as the Ron Spatz trainee
pulled away to score a 3 1/2-length win. Ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, the
Florida-bred five-year-old mare completed the six-furlong fast track test in
1:10 2/5 and rewarded her backers with $11.40, $3 and $2.10 while starting the
$9.80 exacta ($1), $30.10 trifecta ($1) and $109.70 superfecta ($1) (5-4-2-6).
Bear Fan raced in second throughout and finished in that position, two
lengths up on Double Scoop (Seeking the Gold), to pay $2.20 and $2.10. Double
Scoop rallied from near the back of the six-horse field to grab third by a
half-length over Cyber Slew (Siberian Summer), returning $2.10 at 8-1.
Alix M earned only her second stakes win with this one after taking the
Connie’s Magic S. last year at Calder. She also placed in three other stakes
last year, including the Chaposa Sprint H. (G3), and now owns a 10-6-3-1 mark to
go along with $331,620 in earnings.
Harry J. Aleo’s LOST IN THE FOG (Lost Soldier) was one of the only favorites
to win during the Sunshine Millions card, but did so in style in the $250,000
Sunshine Millions Dash S. at Gulfstream. With Russell Baze in the irons, the
Greg Gilchrist-trained sophomore was 4 1/2 lengths clear at the finish and gave
back $3.40, $3 and $2.60 at 3-5 for stopping the clock in 1:09 4/5 for
three-quarters on the fast dirt.
Santana Strings (Wheaton) returned $5.60 and $4.40 at 8-1 for holding 77-1
long shot Lucky Frolic (Carson City), who paid $12.40, two lengths back in
third. The exotics were worth $8.10 for the exacta ($1), $150.90 for the
trifecta ($1) and $937.50 for the superfecta ($1) (5-8-2-4).
Lost in the Fog, who was bred in Florida, is now perfect from three starts,
including a win in the Arizona Juvenile S., and has earned $182,075.
A head was all that separated Robert A. Adams’ homebred HOT STORM (Stormy
Atlantic) from her nearest rival at the wire of the $250,000
Sunshine Millions
Oaks at Santa Anita, but it was more than enough to earn the Dallas Stewart
charge the win. Jerry Bailey guided the bay miss four wide on the backstretch
and the pair finished up six furlongs on the wet fast track in 1:09. Hot Storm,
sent off at 21-1, returned nice payments of $44.40, $15.40 and $7.20.
Runner-up She’s a Jewel (Successful Appeal) finished a half-length up on Memorette (Memo
[Chi]) at 6-1 and gave back $8.40 and $5.40 while ending the $219.70 exacta
($1). Show was worth $3.20 and finished the $1,394.90 trifecta ($1).
The Florida-bred Hot Storm, second in the Letellier Memorial S. on New Year’s
Day, pushed her record to 7-3-1-0 and more than doubled her earnings to
$193,350.
California-bred runners lost in the competition against Florida natives during
the Sunshine Millions, but they still represented themselves well, taking three
of eight stakes races held at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park. Florida won the
contest, finishing with 44 points to California’s 28.