2003 Sunshine Millions

Saturday, January 25, 2003

Shalini Primed for Sunshine Millions Test

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 14, 2003) -- Jim Briere has worked in the motion picture and television industries for 20 years. As a grip, he's one of the people who move lighting and props around a set.

He lives in Valencia, home of the Magic Mountain amusement park.

Briere, 48, lives and works around fantasy settings all the time.

But the biggest fantasy he can think of would be a victory by his 4-year-old filly Shalini in the Sunshine Millions $750,000 Vessels Stallion Farm Distaff at Santa Anita or the $350,000 Franks Farms Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25.

"What a thrill that would be," said Briere, who bred Shalini in partnership with his cousin Richard, who also works as a film studio grip.

The 1 1/16-mile Distaff will be the richest of the four Sunshine Millions races to be run at Santa Anita. The Filly and Mare Turf would require Shalini's first trip out of state.

Shalini is a gray daughter of Irish-bred Urgent Request, the 1995 Santa Anita Handicap winner and former California-based stallion. Her dam is the Falstaff mare Code It Nikki.

Shalini emerged as a Sunshine Millions contender when she won Santa Anita's $108,400 Pro Or Con Handicap by a neck on Jan. 4. She traveled the mile on grass in 1:36.59 under Corey Nakatani to record her first stakes victory and third triumph overall in 13 starts.

"We've tried to space her races," Briere said. "She's always had ability, but she acted like she needed some time off between races."

In the Sunshine Millions Distaff, Shalini-the Egyptian word for "a woman of luck and wisdom" -- likely would join fellow Cal-breds Cee's Elegance and Nicole's Pursuit in the field, along with Florida-breds Smok'n Frolic from the powerful Todd Pletcher barn and Coolbythepool, who has won five stakes at Calder.

Briere is understandably pleased with the training job Craig Dollase has done with Shalini. But he believes his filly received impeccable training before she came to the track.

"I can't say enough about the great job Harris Farms did with her," Briere said.

Urgent Request, Shalini's sire, stood at Rancho San Miguel and Flag is Up Farms, but also was working as a "shuttle stallion," spending the Southern Hemisphere breeding season in Australia.

"The owner, Stewart Aitken, thought the horse could do well both places," recalled Clay Murdock, Rancho San Miguel's general manager. "But when he'd come back here, people forgot about him and we couldn't get a full book of mares for him."

Urgent Request, now 13, has been in Australia since last summer. He's not expected back in the United States any time soon.

Shalini could he his American legacy.
--Larry Bortstein