2012 Sunshine Millions – Florida-Breds at Their Best Racing at Gulfstream Park

The 10th annual Sunshine Millions, set for Jan. 28, will feature six Stakes races for Florida-breds with combined purses of $1.3 million at Gulfstream Park. A strong group of horses is shaping up for the event, including Mucho Macho Man in the $400,000 Sunshine Millions Classic, as well as Awesome Feather, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2010, in the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff.

This year's edition of the Sunshine Millions will have a different format the prior seasons. Previously, the Sunshine Millions featured a combined eight races at Gulfstream and Santa Anita and was open to both Florida-breds and California-breds. However, California horsemen elected not to participate in this year's event so it has been streamlined to just six races to be run exclusively at Gulfstream Park.

“We're excited about this new version of the Sunshine Millions,” said Gulfstream Park President Timothy Ritvo. “It will be the same six races at the same six distances. The purses have been adjusted slightly due to the fact there will be no participation from California.

“While our friends in California will not be competing in the Florida Sunshine Millions, the management and staff at Gulfstream are excited to build on the vision and model of our chairman, Mr. Frank Stronach.”

The six races that make up the 2012 Sunshine Millions will include the $400,000 Sunshine Millions Classic, for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/8-miles; the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff for fillies and mares 4-year-olds and up, also at 1 1/8-miles; the $400,000 Sunshine Millions Turf for older horses at 1 1/8-miles; the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf at 1 1/8-miles; $150,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint for older horses at six furlongs; and the $150,000 Filly and Mare Sprint, also at six furlongs.

In addition to Mucho Macho Man, a veteran of last year's Triple Crown who will be making his 4-year-old debut, the Classic is also expected to feature Grade 2 winner Adios Charlie and Grade 3 winner Duke of Mischief.

Awesome Feather, who is undefeated in eight career starts, may be the biggest draw of the Sunshine Millions. The 4-year-old daughter of Awesome of Course was perfect in six starts as a juvenile in 2009, culminating with a win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies to nail down year-end championship honors.

Unfortunately, Awesome Feather was sidelined for much of 2011 because of an injury. However, the two starts she did make last year were winning ones. She returned from an 11-month layoff to win the La Slew Stakes at Belmont in October and then, six weeks later, Awesome Feather showed she was still one of the top fillies in the country with a win in the Grade 1 Gazelle Handicap at Aqueduct.