sunshine_millions_stakes_pp_s.pdf (ctfassets.net)
From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2023)—In a very competitive affair at about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s one-of-a-kind hillside turf course, Nick Alexander’s consistent homebred Alice Marble, who will be ridden by Flavien Prat, should be tough to beat among a field of nine older fillies and mares in Saturday’s $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint.
Presented by John Deere, the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint is part of the lucrative CTBA-sponsored Golden State Series for eligible California-bred of sired runners.
Most recently third off the bench versus open company in a five furlong turf allowance at Del Mar Nov. 26, Alice Marble, who was second in last year’s Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint, has been no worse than third in nine races with trainer Phil D’Amato—winning four of them.
Winless in her first three starts at age three at Golden Gate Fields, 6-year-old Alice Marble has thrived with D’Amato in Southern California, winning two statebred stakes at Santa Anita, the restricted Wishing Well at 6 ½ furlongs out of the turf chute four starts back on Feb. 26 and the one mile turf Fran’s Valentine two races back on May 28.
By Grazen and out of the More Than Ready mare Unsung Heroine, Alice Marble pressed the pace and finished second, beaten a half length in the Grade II Monrovia Stakes down the hillside turf three starts back on April 9 and thus has two seconds from as many tries over the course.
With an overall mark of 12-5-2-2, Alice Marble, who has earnings of $332,880, will be seeking her third stakes win on Saturday.
In what will be her second stakes assignment, the Carla Gaines-trained Big Summer, who won her only hillside start, a first condition allowance versus statebreds three starts back on Oct. 7, comes off a second place finish going six furlongs in the statebred Bear Fan Stakes Dec. 10 at Golden Gate Fields and will hope to be rolling late under regular rider Joe Bravo.
A 5-year-old filly by Mr. Big out of the Cee’s Tizzy mare Ultimate Summer, Big Summer is owned by her breeders Bob Abrams and Mitchell Dutko along with Michael Paran.
A gate to wire hillside allowance winner versus statebred competition on Dec. 26, Reddam Racing’s homebred La Deuxieme Etoile will be ridden back by Frankie Dettori in what will be her second hillside try. Trained by Doug O’Neill, la Deuxieme Etoile is a 4-year-old filly by red-hot sire Nyquist out of the Square Eddie mare La Premiere Etoile.
Reddam Racing will also be well represented by their 5-year-old homebred Square Eddie filly Eddie’s New Dream, who is trained by Ben Cecil. Most recently well beaten at one mile on turf in the Grade I Matriarch Dec. 4 at Del Mar, Eddie’s New Dream has two wins from three tries down the hill, with both victories coming in statebred stakes.
Out of Reddam’s Tapit mare Walkingonadream, Eddie’s New Dream is 20-6-6-2 with earnings of $486,100 and will again be ridden by Mario Gutierrez.
THE SUNSHINE MILLIONS FILLY & MARE TURF SPRINT WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST ORDER
Race 6 of 10 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT
- Big Summer—Joe Bravo—122
- La Deuxieme Etoile—Lanfranco Dettori—120
- Alice Marble—Flavien Prat—124
- Kleen Karma—Edwin Maldonado—122
- Eddie’s New Dream—Mario Gutierrez—124
- Taming the Tigress—Ramon Vazquez—122
- Bella D—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—122
- Sunshine Babe—Hector Berrios—120
- Tam’s Little Angel—Umberto Rispoli—124
First post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 12 noon with admission gates opening at 10 a.m.