Sunshine Millions IV Recap

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 28, 2006) – Sunshine Millions IV on Saturday turned into a showcase for California-breds, which won five of the eight races in the $3.6 million bi-coastal event.

The feature race was the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita, won by Lava Man. He was joined by Golden State winners Bordonaro in the $300,000 Padua Stables Sprint; Da Stoops in the $350,000 Pepsi Dash; House of Fortune in the $500,000 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Distaff and Moscow Burning in the $500,000 Warren’s Thoroughbreds Filly & Mare Turf.

Financially, Cal-breds took a little more than half of the purse money available -- $1,911,500. In the point total competition between the two states, Florida edged California, 37-35, in large part because only eight Cal-breds ran in Florida while 18 Florida-breds ran in California.

In the three races won by Florida-breds, the best Cal-bred finishes were a second by Western Hemisphere in the $300,000 Filly & Mare Sprint, a ninth by Devons Smokin in the $250,000 Ocala Stud Oaks and an 11th by Night Dash in the $500,000 Cloverleaf Farms Turf.

Three of the winners were Cal-bred favorites – Bordonaro, Da Stoops and Moscow Burning. Cal-breds won three of the four races at Santa Anita and in the one they lost, the Filly & Mare Sprint, California chances were compromised by the defections of Grade I winners Leave Me Alone and Alphabet Kisses to run in Sunday’s Grade I Santa Monica Handicap.

The Sunshine Millions, exclusively for horses bred in California and Florida, was held simultaneously at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, where retiring Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey finished second on Silver Tree in the $500,000 Cloverleaf Farms Turf, his farewell race.

The on-track attendance at Santa Anita was estimated in excess of 32,000, up significantly from 17,533 a year ago.