Fields set for Sunshine Millions

Midas Eyes will stretch back out for the Sunshine Millions Classic while making his 2005 debut (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com) Horses bred in California and Florida will square off Saturday in the eight-race, $3.6 million Sunshine Millions at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita. Each track will host four events, topped by the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream, and a total of 92 horses have been entered for the program. Grade 1 winner MIDAS EYES (Touch Gold) is one of the top draws for the Classic, which attracted an overflow of 14. Only 12 will be allowed to start in the 1 1/8-mile race, and other contenders include SECOND OF JUNE (Louis Quatorze), who ran two big races at Gulfstream Park last season, and the improving CLASSIC ENDEAVOR (Silver Buck), who comes off victories in the Queens County H. (G3) and Stuyvesant H. (G3) at Aqueduct. The complete Classic field, from the rail with riders and weights, is COZY GUY (Alphabet Soup), Jose Santos, 120; ROYAL PLACE (Out of Place), Jose Valdivia Jr., 122; MUSIQUE TOUJOURS (Musique d'Enfer), Jorge Chavez, 122; ZAKOCITY (Precocity), Eibar Coa, 120; Second of June, Cornelio Velasquez, 120; Classic Endeavor, Patrick Valenzuela, 122; LAVA MAN (Slew City Slew), Jon Court, 120; STOCKHOLDER (Bertrando), Pat Day, 122; EL DON (Cee's Tizzy), Russell Baze, 120; LIMEHOUSE (Grand Slam), John Velazquez, 120; Midas Eyes, Edgar Prado, 122; and SUPAH BLITZ (Mecke), Rafael Bejarano, 122. The also-eligibles are HEAR NO EVIL (Carson City), Eddie Castro, 122; and MISTER FOTIS (Diligence), Chavez, 120. The $500,000 Distaff features a strong group of 10 fillies and mares, including La Brea S. (G1) heroine ALPHABET KISSES (Alphabet Soup) and three-time Grade 2 winner YEARLY REPORT (General Meeting). Multiple Grade 2 victress HOUSE OF FORTUNE (Free House) and FENCELINENEIGHBOR (Wild Rush), who was an easy two-length winner of the San Gorgonio H. (G3) last out, are also entered for the 1 1/16-mile event at Santa Anita.

House of Fortune will lead the post parade under a 120-pound impost that

includes Gary Stevens. Next comes Alphabet Kisses, Victor Espinoza, 120; DREAM

OF SUMMER (Siberian Summer), Mike Smith, 122; MINI SKIRT (Wild Again), Kent Desormeaux, 120; Yearly Report, Jerry Bailey, 120; REDOUBLED MISS (Adhocracy),

Tyler Baze, 122; SCARLETT MEMORIES (Diligence), Martin Pedroza, 120; FRIEL'S FOR

REAL (Sword Dance [Ire]), Abel Castellano, 122; SWEET LIPS (Kris S.), Rene

Douglas, 120; and Fencelineneighbor, Luis Jauregui, 122.

MOSCOW BURNING (Moscow Ballet), who finished second in last year's $500,000

Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf, is the one to beat in this year's edition

at Gulfstream. The Jim Cassidy-trained mare captured the Sheepshead Bay H. (G2),

turned in a good fourth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) and just

missed in her most recent start against males, finishing only three parts of a

length back in fourth in the Hollywood Turf Cup (G1), last season. She'll square

off against 11 rivals in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile event, which was oversubscribed

by one.

The Filly & Mare Turf contestants, in post order with jockeys and imposts,

are MIDWIFE (Family Calling), Russell Baze, 120; MARWOOD (Marlin), Santos, 122;

Moscow Burning, Valdivia, 122; VOUS (Wild Rush), Joe Bravo, 120; SHALINI (Urgent

Request [Ire]), Valenzuela, 122; IOWA'S IMAGE (Halo's Image), Manoel Cruz, 122;

SCROFA (Unusual Heat), Velazquez, 120; FORMAL MISS (Formal Dinner), Chavez, 122;

VALENTINE DANCER (In Excess [Ire]), Court, 122; CHANGING WORLD (Spinning World), Prado, 122; R OBSESSION (Notebook), Velasquez, 120; and TUCKED AWAY (Unusual

Heat), Kieren Fallon, 122. On the also-eligible list is RUSSIAN SWEETIEPIE

(Absent Russian), Velasquez, 122.

Santa Anita will host the $500,000

Turf and an overflow of 14 are on the

entry list for the nine-furlong affair. STAR OVER THE BAY (Cozzene), winner of

the Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship (G1) last year at Santa Anita,

looks formidable, but he faces a couple of stiff challengers in Grade 2 hero

SILVER TREE (Hennessy) and Citation H. (G1) runner-up A TO THE Z (Benchmark).

SKYWALKER RED (Skywalker), who carries 122 pounds, drew the innermost post

with Desormeaux and will be followed in the post parade by RUNNING FREE (Soft

Gold [Brz]), Smith, 120; SUPER STRUT (Lil Tyler), Garrett Gomez, 122; A to the

Z, Espinoza, 122; ICY ATLANTIC (Stormy Atlantic), Douglas, 120; BOB'S PROUD

MOMENT (Proud and True), David Flores, 120; UNION PLACE (Out of Place), Javier

Castellano, 122; G P FLEET (Northern Afleet), Jose Martinez Jr., 122; Silver

Tree, Bailey, 122; CHEIRON (Maria's Mon), Mark Guidry, 122; CONTINENTAL RED

(Flying Continental), Stevens, 122; and Star over the Bay, Tyler Baze, 122. The

also-eligibles are SEA HARBOR (Slewpy), Goncalino Almeida, 122; and STORMY ROMAN

(Future Storm), Guidry, 122.

SHAKE YOU DOWN (Montbrook), who easily captured last year's $300,000

Sunshine

Millions Sprint at Gulfstream, is back to defend his title against 12 rivals at

Santa Anita. Top challengers include Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) third-place

finisher MY COUSIN MATT (Matty G) and AREYOUTALKINTOME (Smokester), who comes

off a nice score in the El Conejo H. (G3) over the main track. Also at Santa

Anita is the $250,000

Oaks for three-year-old fillies going six furlongs. MEMORETTE (Memo [Chi]) and COASTAL STRIKE (Smart Strike), who both captured

stakes in their last outing, are among the leading candidates in the 12-horse

field.

Three-year-old sprinters will contest the $250,000

Sunshine Millions Dash,

which attracted 10 entrants at Gulfstream. The South Florida track also offers

the $300,000

Filly & Mare Sprint, which features the smallest field of the day

but definitely holds some appeal with the likes of three-time Grade 2 queen BEAR

FAN (Pine Bluff) and defending heroine MOOJI MOO (Jeblar) among the six

entrants.