Horse Racing Weekend Preview: Sunshine Millions Classic & Holy Bull Stakes

This weekend’s Horse Racing preview centers on Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida. Albeit, I’ve isolated two of the weekend’s top races, the super track has a blockbuster weekend planned. In a way, it’s almost like Gulfstream’s Breeders Cup. It’s called the Sunshine Millions and, like the Breeders Cup, it has a race for just about every type of horse in training today. The pinnacle is the $400,000 Sunshine Classic that features the four year old debut of Mucho Macho Man

It starts with Saturday’s third race, which is the Sunshine Millions Distaff. The Distaff, which has a purse of $300,000, will be run at one and one eight miles. It features the four year old debut of 2009 two year old champion filly and the undefeated Awesome Feather, who is listed as the 4/5 morning line favorite.

The very next race is the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint. The Sprint will feature Champion Filly Sprinter of 2011, Musical Romance. Musical Romance, who is listed as the 5/2 morning line favorite, might have her hands full with Pomeroy’s Pistol (3-1 morning line).

After that comes the Millions Sprint (the male version). Apriority, who came sixth in the Breeders Cup Sprint before winning the Mr. Prospector Stakes on New Years Eve, figures bang up and is listed as the 2-1 favorite.

Two grass races follow the Sprint. The Filly and Mare Turf, which looks to me as wide open as theGrand Canyon, will be contested at one and one eighth miles for a purse of $150,000. The race is so wide open that 7 of the 9 entered have 8-1 odds or less.

After that, the male version of the same race will be next The Sunshine Millions Turf. Little Mike is listed as the 8/5 favorite but I believe Teaks North should run well in this one. This race is quite the opposite of the Filly and Mare Turf as 7 of the 11 have odds of 12-1 or more.

Lastly is the $400,000 Millions Classic, which we will be taking a closer look at below.

As if that weren’t enough, if we fast forward to Sunday, Gulfstream will run the $200,000 Forward Gal Stakes and the $400,000 Holy Bull, which marks the return of 2011 Two Year Old Champion Colt Hansen. We will also be taking a closer look at the Holy Bull below.

So as you can see lots of great action in southern Florida this weekend. Now let’s see if we can figure out, what is in my opinion, the two biggest races of the weekend.

Gulfstream Park – January 28, 2012

 Race 10 – 5:25 PM    

Florida Sunshine Millions Classic S.

Purse $400,000. For Four Year Olds And Upward

P#	PP	Horse	A/S	Med	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1	Duke of Mischief	6/H	L	J Bravo	117	D Fawkes	6/1
2	2	Dream Maestro	7/G	L	J C Leyva	117	W A Kaplan	15/1
3	3	Adios Charlie	4/C	L	J Castellano	117	S M Hough	3/1
4	4	Decaf Again	6/G	L	D Centeno	117	B R Rose	30/1
5	5	Turbo Compressor	4/R	L	J R Velazquez	119	T A Pletcher	2/1
6	6	Mucho Macho Man	4/C	L	R A Dominguez	117	K Ritvo	5/2
7	7	Ron the Greek	5/H	L	J Lezcano	117	W I Mott	5/1

Analysis:

1) Adios Charlie- has never been worse than second in now six lifetime starts. In fact, he is a total of about three lengths away from being undefeated. Please note that he obviously likes this (GulfstreamPark) surface as two of his biggest wins came at this track. I expect a good year from this good looking bay colt by (recently deceased) Indian Charlie and it may start on Saturday afternoon

2) Mucho Macho Man- after finishing third in the 2011 Kentucky Derby (to Animal Kingdom), this monstrosity’s form seemed to go south. His performances in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes were a disappointing sixth and seventh respectively. Trainer Kathy Ritvo then gave him the rest of the summer off and brought him back in early November where he romped in an allowance/optional claimer race (he won laughing by 5 lengths). Dangerous in this spot and is yet another I expect a good 2012 from.

3) Ron the Greek- a change in racing tactics seems to have helped this guy big time. Once a stone cold closer, (he passed 9 horses in the last quarter mile of the 2010 Lecomte Stakes) this horse won his last two races while being on or close to the lead in both. A duplicate performance of either of those last two races puts him in the thick of it in this race too.

Honorable Mentions: Turbo Compressor is the 2/1 morning line favorite based off his annihilation of a restricted stakes race in his last at Calder in November. I’m going to try to beat him in this spot as he seems to be a little inconsistent for my taste. Duke of Mischief is another whose form tailed off in the latter part of 2011. That being said, a look back into earlier last year (and late 2010) shows some pretty good efforts vs. some tough competition, including a solid second (to a streaking Tackleberry) in this very race. Longshot possibility “if” he bounces back to his early 2011 form.

 

Gulfstream Park – January 29, 2012

 Race 10 – 4:45 PM    

Holy Bull S. (Grade III)

Purse $400,000). For Three Year Olds. One Mile

PP	Horse	A/S	Med	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer
1	Silver Max	3/C	L	J R Leparoux	116	D L Romans
2	Consortium	3/C	L1	J R Velazquez	116	K P McLaughlin
3	My Adonis	3/C	L	E Trujillo	120	K J Breen
4	Hansen	3/C	L	R A Dominguez	122	M J Maker
5	Fort Loudon	3/C	L	R Maragh	120	S I Gold
6	Algorithms	3/C	L	J Castellano	116	T A Pletcher

Analysis:

1) Hansen- much to my chagrin, the 2011 champion two year old colt makes his three year old debut in this spot (end of January seems to be a little early to me). Regardless, no denying the talent in this grey son of Tapit as he won his first two career starts by a combined 25 ½ lengths then was nothing short of dead game in holding off the oncoming Union Rags in the Breeders Cup Juvenile this past November. His work outs for this are…well…ok and a mile is probably the right distance. But bettor beware, with the Kentucky Derby some 13 weeks away, am I the only one who thinks he may not be fully “cranked up” for this race?

2) Algorithms- this good looking, impeccably bred (Bernardini-Avaknowsthecode by Cryptoclearnce) colt has looked great in winning both lifetime starts and, so far, also looks to have a big future in the Triple Crown races and beyond. A good showing on Sunday immediately catapults him into the upper echelon three year olds and a pretty serious Kentucky Derby threat. I, for one, am looking forward to watch him this weekend.

3) Fort Loudon-rattled off four straight wins in restricted stakes races at Calder before throwing in a clunker in the Breeders Cup Juvenile last Novemeber. 4 for 8 life time, returns “home” to Florida and look best of the rest to me.

Record= 1-3 (33%)

 

Little Bets N’ Pieces:

*** Today (Friday) marks the return of the undefeated and 2011 Australian Horse of the Year Black Caviar. Black Caviar will be attempting her 17th straight win when she contests the Group 1 Australia Stakes. I’ll need to keep an eye on that race.

 

*** 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom took a big step towards his return to the races with a five furlong work in :59.4 and galloped out a sixth furlong in 1:12 flat this past Wednesday at Palm Meadows

Trainer Graham Motion said the work was “perfect”….which is good to hear.

 

*** Other notable workouts this past week include Union Rags (5F- 1:00.4), Grace Hall (4F-:47.2), and Pants on Fire (5F-:59.4)