Frankel Entry Is Sunshine Favorite
The entry of Peace Rules and Midas Eyes, both owned by Ed Gann and trained by Bobby Frankel, was made the 9-5 favorite Monday when 14 horses were entered for Saturday’s $1-million Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita.
Only Peace Rules may run. Frankel said over the weekend that Midas Eyes probably will run in the $300,000 Strub Stakes on Feb. 7.
Saturday’s Sunshine Millions day, inaugurated last year, consists of eight races restricted to California- and Florida-breds that are divided between Santa Anita and one of its sister tracks, Gulfstream Park. Purses total $3.6 million. Best Of The Rest won last year’s Classic, which was run at Gulfstream.
The other races at Santa Anita are the $500,000 Filly and Mare Turf; the $300,000 Filly and Mare Sprint and the $250,000 Dash. At Gulfstream will be the $500,000 Turf; the $500,000 Distaff; the $300,000 Sprint and the $250,000 Oaks.
Peace Rules, who’ll be ridden by Jerry Bailey, hasn’t run since finishing last in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Oct. 25.
His other six starts last year were on dirt, the same surface as the Classic. He won three -- the Louisiana Derby, the Blue Grass and the Haskell -- and finished third in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness. He was also second in the Travers, the only time Bailey rode him.
This is the field for the 1 1/8-mile Classic, in post-position order with jockeys and morning-line odds:
Continental Red, Pat Valenzuela, 6-1; Midas Eyes, John Velazquez, 9-5; Grey Memo, Matt Garcia, 8-1; Excessivepleasure, Jon Court, 20-1; Standard Setter, Ryan Fogelsonger, 30-1; Hot Market, Jose Valdivia Jr., 20-1; Peace Rules, Bailey, 9-5; White Buck, Mike Smith, 6-1; Southern Image, Victor Espinoza, 5-1; Touch The Wire, Corey Nakatani, 8-1; Excess Summer, Gary Stevens, 15-1; and The Judge Sez Who, Kent Desormeaux, 5-1. Commander’s Flag and Pay The Preacher are on the also-eligible list and could run only if other horses scratch.