X Y Jet, Reason to Soar meet again in Sunshine Millions Sprint
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – X Y Jet and Reason to Soar both appeared destined for bigger and better things during the second half of the 2018 season after they crossed the wire first and second in the Grade 3 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream on June 30. Unfortunately, neither ran again the remainder of the year.
The two sprint specialists will launch their comebacks simultaneously on Saturday when they face five rivals in the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint, one of four stakes on the Sunshine Millions Day program at Gulfstream Park.
X Y Jet was pointed to a start in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Sprint following his victory over Reason to Soar in the Smile, only to suffer a series of minor setbacks during the fall. When his last workout prior to the Breeders’ Cup was not to the satisfaction of trainer Jorge Navarro, he was withdrawn from consideration for the race.
X Y Jet, who has undergone three knee surgeries throughout his career, won three of four starts last season, including the Sunshine Millions Sprint by 5 1/2 lengths in his 2018 debut. His lone setback on the year came in the Dubai Golden Shaheen when he was caught in the closing strides by Mind Your Biscuits after opening a seemingly comfortable advantage at midstretch.
“I think giving him the time off was the right call, especially the way he worked last Saturday,” Navarro said earlier this week. “This is the best I’ve ever seen him. I haven’t seen him hit the ground like that in a long while. And the week before, he was never even trying and worked a bullet out of the gate.”
Navarro said that if all goes well his two primary goals this year for X Y Jet would be a return trip to Dubai for the Golden Shaheen and another shot at the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. X Y Jet also won the 2016 Sunshine Millions Sprint.
Reason to Soar was eventually disqualified from second and placed fifth for ducking out and causing interference in early stretch of the 2018 Smile. That was his only loss in four starts last year, with all three victories coming at Gulfstream Park.
“We’re still not sure what made him duck out like that, but we feel he was definitely the second-best horse in the race and it was frustrating to lose the graded stakes placing like that,” said George Weaver, who trains Reason to Soar for West Point Thoroughbreds.
Reason to Soar, who returned from an even longer layoff to win a statebred allowance race that launched his 2018 campaign, has trained forwardly for his return at Weaver’s winter headquarters at Palm Beach Downs.
Completing the field are Ray’swarrior, who posted a 100 Beyer Speed Figure beating $30,000 claiming foes here last month, the multiple graded stakes-placed Sweetontheladies, Quijote, Field Trip, and Springmeier.
Sunshine Millions Turf
Class and Cash brings a different brand of early speed to the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Turf than X Y Jet, but it’s similarly effective. A specialist at a mile or a tad longer on the grass, the gray 7-year-old gelding has finished first or second in a remarkable 22 of 31 career starts, invariably setting or forcing the pace from the opening bell.
“He is absolutely a cool horse,” said Class and Cash’s trainer, Jane Cibelli. “He loves the Gulfstream course and this is a chance to run against Florida-breds, but it won’t be easy by any means.”
Class and Cash was beaten just a nose in a designed prep for the Turf in November at Gulf West and shows four Palm Meadows works in the interim.
Class and Cash, with Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride, will be challenged for favoritism in the 1 1/16-mile Turf by Big Changes, a Midwest shipper who won three open stakes last year.
Fringe players in the Turf include Archer Road, turning back from a two-mile race, as well as Driven by Thunder and Salute the Colonel.
Galleon Mast, the 2018 Turf winner, is sidelined with a minor injury but will return to training in due course, trainer David Fawkes said.
The Sunshine Millions Turf is race 6, with a post time of 2:15 p.m. Eastern.
Sunshine Millions F-M Turf
Starship Jubilee drew the outside post in a 13-horse field, which might be perceived by bettors as just enough of a hindrance to throw this 1 1/16-mile race wide open.
Starship Jubilee, who last year was a winning favorite in the Filly and Mare Turf, is a graded winner looking to redeem herself as a beaten odds-on choice in the Claiming Crown last month. Trainer Kevin Attard said he expects an improved effort Saturday.
“She came out of the race great and has been training like she’s going to run a really big race,” he said.
The field includes three from the powerhouse barn of Todd Pletcher, including Shanghai Starlet. She is cross-entered Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, and Pletcher said Thursday he was unsure which spot she would actually run in.
Picara, winner of the Nov. 10 prep for this, probably will draw the strongest action of the Pletcher trio, especially being well drawn in post 2 with John Velazquez riding. Her stablemate Treasure for Gold starts alongside in post 3.
Other live players in a deep lineup include Mrs. Ramona G., riding a three-race win streak for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, along with Southern Sis and Warranty.
- Additional reporting by Marty McGee
