Ginger Punch Wins Sunshine Millions Distaff

27 01 2008

Ginger Punch, winner of a 2007 Eclipse Award, made her move on the far turn around Peach Flambe to open up a dominating lead in the stretch and an eventual 6 3/4 length victory in her first race of the 2008 season.  The 1 1/8 mile race went in 1:49.14, with Ginger Punch returning $2.60 for the win. 

The victory was fitting considering Ginger Punch’s owner, Frank Stronach, is the mastermind behind the Sunshine Millions day, which pits Florida and California breds against one another in an 8 race series with races at both Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita.   Thankfully the weather provided enough of a respite for the major races of the day to be run and the avoidance of a much feared cancellation of the Santa Anita card.  The Daily Racing Form is reporting that trainer Bobby Frankel has indicated Ginger Punch will be next pointed towards the Grade 1 Santa Margarita at Santa Anita on March 9. Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 9 Comments »
Tags: , , , ,
Categories : Ginger Punch, Go Between, Horses, Nashoba's Key

Forecast For Sunshine Millions Still Cloudy

26 01 2008
sunshinemillions.jpg

The annual Sunshine Millions races have become one of the favorite early betting events of the racing year for horseplayers across the country, but the recent weather experienced at Santa Anita has thrown a bit of a cloud over the event.  There 8 races of the sequence are split between Gulfstream and Santa Anita and are slated to feature some of the biggest names in racing, including Eclipse finalists Ginger Punch and Nashoba’s Key. 

As of Friday night, the situation at Santa Anita did not sound good, with afternoon racing cancelled for the day and the prospects of the track being open on Saturday for the big event looking dicey at best.   Three and a half inches of rain and hail have pelted the laughably named “all weather” surface that has been plagued by severe drainage problems all year.   The results have been brutal:  5 days of lost wagering in full card cancellations.   The cancellation of the Saturday card would be a huge blow to the track.  

Still, I just got back from California tonight, and I”m not about to handicap half a sequence when it includes the likes of Nashoba’s Key, so I’ve gone in assuming the sun gods will allow enough of a respite in the downpour to allow the track to miraculously drain enough for the races to be run as scheduled.   With that in mind, let’s take a look at the races, shall we?  Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : Ginger Punch, Gulfstream Park, Handicapping Selections, Nashoba's Key, Santa Anita


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.