Nominations portend small fields for Sunshine Millions

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Short lists of nominations portend short fields for the Sunshine Millions, the four-race series to be renewed next Saturday (Jan. 20) at Gulfstream.

Top names likely among the 10 nominees to the richest of the four races, the $200,000 Sunshine Millions Classic, are Mr. Jordan and Richard the Great, the respective 2-3 finishers in the Harlan’s Holiday here last month.

Fourteen nominations were taken for the $150,000 Turf; 16 for the $150,000 Filly and Mare Turf; and 12 for the $100,000 Sprint.

This will be the 16th running of the Sunshine Millions, which was inaugurated with far bigger purses in 2003 at both Gulfstream and Santa Anita as a competition between Florida-breds and California-breds.

In recent years, the Sunshine Millions races were run prior to the Eclipse Award ceremonies being held the same night at Gulfstream, but the Eclipse dinner has been moved to a Thursday night (Jan. 25) this year.