2006 Sunshine Millions

It would be Classic for Desert Boom

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 26, 2006) -- Desert Boom knows his way to the winners’ circle.

With 14 career victories, Desert Boom is second only to Trickey Trevor, with 17, in Saturday’s $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic, but the pace scenario is a concern to trainer Art Sherman in the nine-furlong race dotted with front-runners.

“We’re probably going to wind up just behind the speed,” said Sherman, who trains the 6-year-old California-bred son of Boomerang for owner Robert Bone. “I think I’ll be about fourth down the backside. That’s what I’m hoping, anyhow. It looks like there are three real decent speed horses in the race, so this will give me a chance to see if he can come from off the pace. He’s done well doing that in the past.”

Desert Boom, bred by Van Mar Farms, has a 14-3-8 record from 37 starts, with earnings of $655,670. Sherman, who will be 69 on Feb. 17, is enjoying good success in recent years in this, his 30th season of training, most of them based in Northern California. He was a jockey for 23 years before becoming a trainer.

“Well, I’ve got better horses now,” Sherman said. “My clients have been putting up the money, but it’s always tougher running here than up north. You’ve got the best horses in the country here, but I’ve got some here and some in the Bay Area. I’ve got two or three more to bring down here because the races aren’t going for me in Northern California. I ran a horse in the third at Bay Meadows yesterday and it wound up being a four-horse field.

“The purses are so good at Santa Anita and our horses are always competitive. I only ran two here so far and both won (Bittersweetmoment, winner of Sunday’s second race, and Silent Lure, nose winner of yesterday’s Impressive Luck II Handicap), so we’ve had some fun down here.”

In other Sunshine Millions news:

Da Svedonya (it means “goodbye” in Russian) faces the stiffest test of her career in the $300,000 Argent Mortgage Filly & Mare Sprint but Gary Stute feels it’s worth the chance.

“You never know who’s going to scratch and who’s going to stay, but her numbers are pretty good,” the trainer said of the 6-year-old California-bred daughter of Lil Tyler that he claimed for $16,000 last August at Del Mar. “It looks like there’s enough speed to set up her late run. Heck, I’d be happy with second, third or fourth.”

There were 140 pre-entries for the fourth annual Sunshine Millions, which offers $3.6 million in eight races—four at Santa Anita and four at Gulfstream Park—matching horses from two of the nation’s leading thoroughbred breeding states, California and Florida in head-to-head competition
Festivities include the Miss Sunshine Millions Pageant, a KROQ Microbrew Festival, Family Fun Day and free Sunshine Millions cooler bags to everyone in attendance with paid admission at Santa Anita only while supplies last.

There will be a Sunshine Millions Pick 4 on races three through six at Santa Anita. The Magna 5, with a guaranteed pool of $500,000, will be offered on the ninth race at Laurel (1:35 p.m.); the eighth at Gulfstream (1:45); the fifth at Santa Anita (2:05); the ninth at Gulfstream (2:20) and the Sunshine Millions Classic (2:45).

Sticky Fingers, a Rolling Stones tribute band, will perform at Sirona’s after the last race. NBC and HRTV will televise the races. First post time is 11:45 a.m. Gates open at 10 a.m.