Shamrocket's turf form makes him favorite in dirt debut
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The remnants of the far-reaching Sunshine Millions concept inaugurated nearly two decades ago will be on display the next two Saturdays at Gulfstream Park amid a far more modest reality.
The $75,000 Sunshine Classic and $75,000 Sunshine Sprint anchor an 11-race Saturday card at sunny Gulfstream, with the $75,000 Sunshine Turf and $75,000 Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf set for the following Saturday, Jan. 22. Purses are now a fraction of what they were in 2003, when statebreds in Florida and California competed for millions on network television as the brainchild of Frank Stronach.
What remains of the series starts with a couple of interesting co-features for Saturday. The overriding question regarding the seven older horses in the 1 1/8-mile Classic is whether the superior Beyer Speed Figures earned in recent starts by Shamrocket will transfer over to the main track, while a more balanced field of eight will clash in the six-furlong Sprint. Both are part of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (races 6-11).
Following spotty rain earlier in the week, clear skies and a high of 75 are in the local forecast for Saturday, meaning all three turf races on the undercard (races 5, 8, 11) likely will stay put. First post is noon Eastern.
The two Saturdays of Sunshine races will be followed by seven graded stakes on Jan. 29, led by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup matching Knicks Go and Life Is Good.
Sunshine Classic (race 6, 2:31)
Shamrocket, trained by Todd Pletcher for Donegal Racing, achieved peak form in the latter half of 2021 in earning Beyers ranging from 93 to 98 in six straight starts; those figures tower over those of his six opponents.
Problem is, most of those races came at longer distance on turf, and in fact the Classic marks the dirt debut of a 5-year-old horse whose 21 prior starts all came on the grass.
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That obvious disparity is what led track oddsmaker Pete Aiello to list Shamrocket as the 6-5 program favorite. If Shamrocket runs to one of those big numbers making the transition from post 3, he and jockey Javier Castellano should win for fun.
Otherwise, the Classic seems to be a mish-mash of ordinary Florida-breds. Sir Ollie (post 1, Junior Alvarado) seems to have the most upside after returning from a nine-month layoff in winning a restricted first-level allowance with a 75 Beyer last month in his first try for leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
“I didn’t think he was quite 100 percent fit, but we needed to get him started,” said Joseph.
Big Venezuela (post 2, Luis Saez) and Glory of Florida (post 7, Miguel Vasquez) are others meriting consideration.
Sunshine Sprint (race 10, 4:42)
The uncoupled Carlos David duo of Legal Deal (post 7, Edwin Gonzalez) and Gatsby (post 5, Saez) are the top choices on a bunched-up morning line, along with Pudding (post 2, Castellano) and Cool Quest (post 1, Julien Leparoux).
Clearly the opening stages will help determine the outcome. Legal Deal, who got a 94 Beyer as a last-out runner-up in the Claiming Crown Rapid Transit, has enough early quicks to vie for early command with longshot Boca Boy, while Cool Quest and Gatsby won’t be very far behind. Bottom line is whether a ruinous pace sets the table for Pudding, who is the most capable closer of the bunch.
Cool Quest is something of a wild card trying a statebred stakes for the first time. The 4-year-old Frosted colt earned a 95 Beyer in winning a restricted allowance last month and seems to have come to hand nicely for Brian Lynch.
The 2021 Sprint winner, Cajun Brother, is among the outsiders this go-round after going badly off form in recent months.
Ortiz return timeline moved up
A second medical opinion sought Wednesday by Irad Ortiz Jr. has revealed that the jockey might be able to able to return from a minor knee injury sooner than was reported in the Friday print editions of Daily Racing Form.
Ortiz’s agent, Steve Rushing, said a second orthopedist diagnosed the injury as a bone contusion – not a small fracture, as initially believed – and instead of being sidelined three to four weeks, Ortiz might be able to be back sooner. His condition will be re-evaluated Tuesday.
Ortiz suffered the injury prior to the eighth race Jan. 7 at Gulfstream when his scheduled mount, Shea On a Mission, became very fractious in the starting gate, causing him to slam his knee on the metal structure. Shea On a Mission was scratched and Ortiz had to be helped off the racetrack.