Class tells as Starship Jubilee dominates Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Starship Jubilee lent an immediate touch of class to the proceedings Saturday at Gulfstream Park when she led off the Sunshine Millions races with a victory in the $150,000 Filly and Mare Turf. The Grade 1-winning mare returned $2.80 as the heaviest favorite in the four-race series for Florida-breds.

Two turf races and two dirt races, capped late in the day by the $200,000 Classic, made up the 18th running of the Sunshine Millions.

Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf

In control from the start of the 1 1/16-mile race, Starship Jubilee drew off down the stretch under Javier Castellano, winning by a comfortable 3 1/4-length margin for her 15th victory from 33 career starts.

Starship Jubilee had won the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine last October.

“Nothing against the other horses today, but she beat some of the best fillies and mares in the world,” said Castellano. “At this class level, she was much the best.”

Beautiful Lover, the 2-1 second choice in a field of eight, was along to finish second, a half-length before Vow to Recover, who gave closest chase to the winner for much of the way and ended up third.

Trained by Kevin Attard, Starship Jubilee was purchased privately in November 2018 by her current owners, the Blue Heaven Farm of Bonnie Baskin. The 7-year-old mare by Indy Wind was claimed at Gulfstream for $16,000 nearly three years ago. She also was favored when she won the 2018 and 2019 runnings of the Filly and Mare Turf.

Attard said Starship Jubilee most likely will be campaigned through 2020. “It’s been an unbelievable journey,” he said.

Sunshine Millions Sprint

Extravagant Kid proved much the best in the $100,000 Sprint, tracking Lady’s Island to the top of the stretch before gliding to victory under Tyler Gaffalione. The winning time for six furlongs was 1:10.04 over fast going and Extravagant Kid returned $7.

“The race set up pretty much like we thought it would,” said Gaffalione. “I was trying not to make the lead too early because he tends to wait around, but he had his mind on business today.”

Extravagant Kid, a 7-year-old gelding by Kiss the Kid, now has won 13 of 40 starts. He was claimed at Gulfstream precisely two years ago for $75,000 by trainer Brendan Walsh on behalf of the DARRS of Virginia realtor David Ross, and has won six stakes in 17 starts since then.

“He was very good today,” Walsh said from New Orleans.

Lady’s Island, the 3-2 favorite and the only female in a field of eight, finished 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner, holding second by a half-length over Jackson, who in turn nosed out He Hate Me for third.

Sunshine Millions Turf

It took the length of the stretch, but March to the Arch and Gaffalione were up in the final jump to nail Muggsamatic in winning the $150,000 Turf in his first start at 5.

“People were congratulating me, although I wasn’t completely sure we’d won it,” said winning trainer Mark Casse. “Only until they put the number up.”

Muggsamatic, ridden by Paco Lopez, had overtaken the front-runners and appeared on his way to victory before March to the Arch lunged late to prevail. March to the Arch paid $7.40.

Galleon Mast was third and Curlin’s Honor, another Casse trainee, was fourth in a field of nine.

Casse said a return to graded company is imminent for March to the Arch, a Live Oak Plantation homebred who spent most of his 4-year-old season in high-level open company. A triumph in the Grade 2 Wise Dan in June was the highlight of his 2019 year. Overall, the gelding has now won 6 of 18.