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Lava Man is one of the leading nominees to the Sunshine Millions Classic
(Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com) |
Grade 1 winners BUZZARDS BAY (Marco Bay), LAVA MAN (Slew City Slew), CAPTAIN
SQUIRE (Flying Chevron), DREAM OF SUMMER (Siberian Summer) and LEAVE ME ALONE
(Bold Badgett) are among the 333 nominations for the 2006 Sunshine Millions
program on January 28.
The eight-race series — worth a total of $3.6 million — matches California-breds
and Florida-breds on both dirt and turf at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park.
Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Buzzards Bay, most recently third in the
Discovery H. (G3) at Belmont Park, and Hollywood Gold Cup H. (G1) winner Lava Man, who was unplaced in the
November 26 Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-G1), are candidates for the $1 million Sunshine
Millions Classic, which will be run at Santa Anita along with the $500,000
Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf, the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare
Sprint, and the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Dash.
Leave Me Alone, a 7 3/4-length winner of the Test S. (G1) at Saratoga, is a
candidate for the Filly & Mare Sprint.
Gulfstream Park will host the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff, the
$500,000 Sunshine Millions Turf, the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint, and the
$250,000 Sunshine Millions Oaks.
Ancient Title Breeders’ Cup S. (G1) winner Captain Squire is nominated to
the Sprint, which he captured in 2003 when the six-furlong test was held at Santa
Anita.
Dream of Summer, who finished third in this year’s Distaff at Santa Anita
prior to winning the Apple Blossom H. (G1) at Oaklawn Park, is a nominee to the
nine-furlong Distaff at Gulfstream.
The program will be nationally televised on NBC.
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