On Saturday, they ran the Sunshine Millions set of races in Santa Anita which is pretty amazing given that they were concerned about the track. They put in a new poly track and it's supposed to be 8 inches of poly over asphalt. Well, the top layers were very very fine product because of the heat in California, but they weren't expecting 8 1/2 inches of rain over 3 days this week. The track became warped, turned into a sealed, wet surface with tiny pellets and hard cement-like stones. They couldn't get it to drain, so they had to scrape the surface which meant that not only was the track fast because it was harder (2 inches less padding between horse and asphalt), but that it was pretty dangerous with the flying poly stones.
I thought it sucked that they had to run, but here's how the day turned out! Bob Black Jack set a world track record for six furlongs, running in 1:06:53 in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Dash. Winsome Charmer and Afleet Ruler placed and showed. Dearest Trickski won the $300,000 Filly and Mare Sprint, Quite a Bride beat the 2007 Eclipse Award winner Nashoba's Key in the $500,000 Sunshine Million Filly and Mare Turf, Benny the Bull won the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint, and Go Between with 2007 Eclipse Jockey Garret Gomez won the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic!
And best of all, sweet Ginger Punch won the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff by 6 3/4 lengths! She's in the photo! Her dad is Frank Stronach of Violet's Adena Springs Farm, and her trainer Bobby Frankel said, "She ran her race. That's the way she likes to run, stalking the leader, and she did what she had to do!"