Gulfstream Park: Musical Romance, Awesome Feather to return in Florida Sunshine Millions

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Eclipse Award winners Musical Romance and Awesome Feather will be among the headliners on Saturday’s $1.3 million Florida Sunshine Millions program at Gulfstream Park.

The six-race Florida Sunshine Millions is restricted to Florida-breds and replaces the old Sunshine Millions format that consisted of eight races, four each at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita, pitting Florida-breds and California-breds.

Musical Romance, who was named the Eclipse winner in the filly and mare sprint division last Monday evening in California, will make her 2012 debut in the $150,000 Florida Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint. It will be her first start since clinching divisional honors with her victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Musical Romance will face six rivals in the six-furlong Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint, including Pomeroys Pistol, a multiple graded stakes winner in her own right who finished fourth in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint.

Awesome Feather won the 2010 Eclipse as the nation’s top 2-year-old filly. She’ll put her unblemished record on the line in the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff, which drew a field of six including 2010 Sunshine Millions Distaff champion Sweet Repent.

The $400,000 Classic, which highlights the card, drew a field of seven led by Mucho Macho Man, third-place finisher in the 2011 Kentucky Derby. He’ll vie for favoritism with Turbo Compressor, runaway winner of Calder’s Carl G. Rose Classic in his last start, and Adios Charlie, already an impressive allowance winner at this meet.

Multiple graded stakes winner Little Mike figures to be heavily favored to win the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Turf. The nine-furlong Sunshine Millions Turf drew the biggest field of the six Sunshine Millions stakes, with 11 entered.

The $150,000 Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf and $150,000 Sunshine Sprint complete the card.