Sunshine Millions Classic draws field of 12

Horseracing Betting Lines

01/26/2007 - Hallandale Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first $1 million race of the year for older thoroughbreds is set to go on Saturday. The Sunshine Millions Classic has drawn a field of a dozen handicap horses for the Gulfstream Park race.

Lava Man won the race last year when it was held at Santa Anita Park. He will remain in California on Saturday to run in the $500,000 Sunshine Million Turf.

The Classic is the featured stakes race in the annual Sunshine Millions series. This is the fifth edition of the series which features Florida and California bred horses.

Sweetnorthernsaint, the winner of last year's Illinois Derby, has been installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite in the 1 1/8 mile event. He will start from the far outside post with Ramon Dominguez riding. The four-year-old gelding has earnings of $642,300 in 11 starts and five wins.

Owned by Joseph Balsamo and Ted Theos, Sweetnorthernsaint is trained by Michael Trombetta. The gelding was the 5-1 favorite in last year's Kentucky Derby where he finished seventh to Barbaro.

The 4-1 second choice is Texcess who last raced in October at Santa Anita Park. Texcess will be ridden by Garrett Gomez from post 9.

The five-year-old is owned by Scott and Wayne Anastasi and Carl Van Burger, and trained by Mike Mitchell. The gelding has won four of 21 starts for more than $1.2 million.

Completing the field in post position order are Dry Martini, Get Funky, Summer Book, Blazing Rate, Silver Wagon, Rehoboth, Papi Chullo, McCann's Mojave, Bob's Proud Moment and Armenian Summer.

The Sunshine Millions Classic has a post-time of 5:45 p.m. (et) and will be televised on NBC.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.