The Bet On Sunshine ($300.000 Purse)
CD- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
November 13, 2022

On Sunday at CD, the Bet On Sunshine will be going to post for the eighth time. It debuted in 2012 as a smaller ungraded stake, and did not run for a triple digit purse until 2019. As such, it has not run every year. In 2021, the purse was increased to it’s current level of $300.000 and as expected, it attracted it’s greatest field ever. That race was won by Milford Sound by about a length over Carnoustie, with Mwn Racing being the winning trainer. That horse remains active today, and still competes at the stake level. For this year’s race, the starting gate will be full as twelve have been entered for this six furlong sprint. Let’s take a look at the field!

#1- Bladamiro (Arindel, ridden by E Jaramillo)- This Soviet Warrior gelding has had no shortage of appearances at the stake level, but he is still looking for his first win in one. He broke his maiden at PID in his second start, and ran in some good KYD prep races, including the AR Derby, but didn’t win any of them. Finally won again in his last start, again at PID, in an allowance. Have to think that a lot of nomination fees are being paid for this one with not enough reward thus far.

#2- Blueberry Yum Yum (Rampage Stable, ridden by J Rosario)- Up until this year, we’ve mainly seen this one in overnights, but as a four year old, this gelding has sweetened up his level of competition. Like Bladamiro, he is still searching for his first stake win, and that’s something that nearly happened for him in the $75.000 Harris Stakes at FNO, for CA-breds, where he lost the headbob at the wire. This is a much tougher crowd to deal with.

#3- What A Laff (Marimba Racing Inc., ridden by J Talamo)- This will be the 30th career start for the five year old gelding. In that time, he has won thirteen times but has not always raced at the highest of levels. That’s where the current trainer has come in handy, as after Marimba claimed the horse for $15.000, he was upgraded in status and even ran in the Bet On Sunshine last year. Like the two on his inside, he is still looking for his first stake win at this point.

#4- Statuesque (Mb Stables, ridden by A Cedillo)- As a two year old, this one showed plenty of promise, running in both the Hopeful and the Champagne, and early this year, he continued to run in high quality stakes. He wasn’t winning, and if you don’t win in this barn, others will surpass you in a blink of an eye. Won an optional claimer two back at SAR for his third career win, and he is another looking for his first stake win.

#5- West Coast Party (Martyparty, ridden by R M Hernandez)- While the first four horses in this field are looking for their first stake win, that has not been a problem for West Coast Party. He comes into the race with wins in his last two starts, grabbing the $100.000 Rumson at MTH in September before heading back to the west coast to win the Grade 2 SA Sprint Championship, where he earned a 100 SRF. Overall, he’s won three of four. Not bad for a horse that was claimed in March for $6.250!

#6- The Dream (Night Rider Stables, ridden by E J Zayas)- The trainer picked this one up in the March auction for $7.780, and The Dream struggled in a couple claimers afterward. So, when the going gets tough in the claiming ranks, naturally, sending them into a couple of $100.000 stakes will do the trick, and The Dream won both of them. Each were with the NM-bred condition, and he looks to face his toughest competition yet right here.

#7- Audioslave (Alydar Stables, ridden by L Saez)- Where there are a few in this field with many career starts, none has more than Audioslave’s 51. In that span, he has eleven wins and has earned over $1,300.000 for his career. He has one win this year, and that came in late May at SA in the Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes. His last three starts haven’t been bad, all coming in graded company but not necessarily getting the strongest finishes. Audioslave ran in the Bet On Sunshine and will get a reminder of where he finished there with the number on his saddlecloth here.

#8- Junior (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by Ru Gonzalez)- This seven year old gelding arrived with Maxmillion Farm in 2018, and immediately began to get positive results. Ultimately, this saw him move into the graded ranks. He hasn’t won one yet, but if you combine his three attempts at the Vanderbilt Handicap, his margin of defeat probably would not even add up to a single length. He’s been so close, so many times, that you have to simply wonder if he is snake bit. This is obviously not a graded race, and he has ungraded wins on his record. He’s won four of eight, but if his effort in the last race is any indicator of his off track abilities, then the trainer truly is betting on sunshine here.

#9- Caught Up In You (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by J R Velazquez)- It might be hard to get a handle on Caught Up In You. He looked good in his last start, winning an open allowance at AQU which followed a string of three unsuccessful turf starts. He has raced more than half of his career on the grass though all but one of his wins are on the dirt. Seems to be a bit inconsistent, and that may be why he does a little bit of everything in terms of condition. I like him as a dirt sprinter, though, and feel he can be a big player here.

#10- Machine Gun Tommy (Nakamura Stables, ridden by D E Centeno)- In the starting gate, Machine Gun Tommy will be as close to Caught Up In You as he was in his last race. That’s because they finished in a dead heat for the win at that AQU open allowance. For the I Am Machine gelding, it was his second straight victory as he was coming off an impressive five length win in the mud at MTH. Overall, he’s won ten of 30, with four of the wins coming this year.

#11- Surprise Authority (Spankys Barn, ridden by D Van Dyke)- Last month, Surprise Authority finished half a length behind West Coast Party in the SA Sprint Championship, taking the second spot there. He’s been a great horse at finishing some where in the top three, running at a 15-5-5-3 clip for his career. He’s managed one win in a stake, and that came down at GP in the CC Rapid Transit, a $75.000 race. Typically, he’ll run at or near the front early.

#12- Old Speckled Hen (Diablo Diablo, ridden by A Bcachica)- Starting on the outside, this four year old gelding searches for his eighth win. If he does, it would be his second stake win, but you have to go back a ways for his Ocala Sophomore win at TAM last year. His last two stake tries have been very forgettable. Was last seen at CT last month, winning an open allowance there. Doesn’t get an ideal post, but it doesn’t have to be a death sentence.

Prediction: 5-9-6-10

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded