Sunshine Event Sheds Light on Weather

In California, where it seems to have been raining all winter, it’s expected to be dry. In Florida, where fast tracks are the norm, it may rain. These are the variables handicappers must grapple with today for the third Sunshine Millions, an eight-race program split between Santa Anita and its sister track, Gulfstream Park.

When the Sunshine Millions, which is restricted to horses bred in either Florida or California, began in 2003, skeptics wrote off the undertaking as a one-time thing. But last year the Magna Entertainment tracks were back for more; there was an on-track crowd of almost 19,000 at Santa Anita and overall betting topped $18 million.

This time around, 92 horses have been entered in the eight races, including an overflow of 14 in the $1-million Sunshine Millions Classic, which is limited to 12 starters. Under the alternating-years format, this year’s Classic will be run at Gulfstream, along with the Filly and Mare Turf, the Filly and Mare Sprint and the Dash. The richest races at Santa Anita, at $500,000 apiece, are the Distaff and the Turf, and the Sprint and the Oaks will also be run in Arcadia. Total purses are $3.6 million.

Midas Eyes has been installed as an iffy 3-1 favorite for the Classic, although many bettors are lining up to try to beat him. Trainer Bobby Frankel’s 5-year-old won the Swale at Gulfstream in stakes-record time in 2003, but he hasn’t run there since, and besides, this isn’t the same Gulfstream.

The entire track is being rebuilt, and the dirt oval has gone from a mile to 1 1/8 miles in circumference. What is more, Midas Eyes has never won at more than a mile, and the Classic is 1 1/8 miles. Another problem for Midas Eyes is his No. 11 post, which doesn’t leave him and jockey Edgar Prado with much run entering the first turn.

Supah Blitz, a shipper from California and one of the eight horses trainer Doug O’Neill is running in the Millions, is next on the morning line at 4-1, but Second Of June, who has done all of his running in Florida, and Cozy Guy, a Santa Anita-based contender, could also spoil Frankel’s plans. Second Of June was considered one of Florida’s prominent Kentucky Derby hopefuls last year, before he broke a bone in his right leg in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream in February. The colt has had one start since his comeback, running second on Dec. 27.

Another Classic contender, who’ll be ridden by Pat Valenzuela for the first time, is the aptly named Classic Endeavor, a 7-year-old who has won five in a row and three straight since trainer Richard Dutrow claimed him for $50,000 at Saratoga in August. Classic Endeavor’s last two wins came at route distances in Grade III stakes at Aqueduct.

Cozy Guy, one of five California-breds in the Classic, ran for $62,500 claiming prices at Del Mar last summer, but he moved into stakes company at Santa Anita in October and won the California Cup Classic, a race restricted to state-breds. In open company, he was a close third, on grass, in the Sir Beaufort on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.

This is the field, in post-position order: Cozy Guy, Royal Place, Musique Toujours, Zakocity, Second Of June, Classic Endeavor, Lava Man, Stockholder, El Don, Limehouse, Midas Eyes and Supah Blitz.

Three winners from last year are not favored as they try to repeat. Valentine Dancer is 6-1 in the Filly and Mare Turf, Mooji Moo is 6-1 in the Filly and Mare Sprint and Shake You Down is 4-1 in the Sprint. Valentine Dancer and Mooji Moo are winless since their Sunshine Millions victories.

Moscow Burning, a Cal-bred trained by Jim Cassidy, is a 5-2 favorite in the Filly and Mare Turf. The mare ran with the best all last year, and was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Bear Fan, 6-5 in the Filly and Mare Sprint, may go off at the shortest price of the day. A well-traveled Cal-bred mare for trainer Wesley Ward, she has been training at the Palm Meadows center in Florida and in her last race ran second sprinting at Calder, another Miami-area track. Bear Fan has eight wins, three seconds and one third in 13 starts.

Areyoutalkintome, another Cal-bred, is the 3-1 favorite in the Sprint, which has also drawn My Cousin Matt, who was third at 60-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

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Florida-breds have won 13 races, California-breds three, in the first two Sunshine Millions.... Ghostzapper, crowned horse of the year Monday night, worked a half-mile in :49 3/5 on Friday at Palm Meadows. He is not expected to run at the Gulfstream Park meet.