Grade I winners Cost of Freedom and Jessica Is Back head their respective sprint divisions of the Sunshine Millions taking place at Santa Anita in California and at Gulfstream Park in Florida Jan. 29.
The $200,0000 Sunshine Millions Sprint takes place at Santa Anita as the fifth race on the program, while the Filly and Mare Sprint is race eight at Gulfstream. They are part of the six-race winter series, in its ninth year for horses bred in California and Florida, worth a combined $1.8 million at the two MI Developments-owned tracks.
Gary and Cecil Barber's speedy 8-year-old Cost of Freedom is coming off a 4 1/2-length victory in Hollywood Park's Miles Tyson Stakes Dec. 11 and is on a three-stakes win streak for trainer John Sadler. The California-bred Cees's Tizzy gelding has led at every call during his current streak, which includes a 1 3/4-length triumph in the Vernon O. Underwood Stakes (gr. III) in his previous start Nov. 25.
Cost of Freedom, who drew post 3 and will have Joe Talamo back aboard, has 11 wins in 21 races and earnings of $857,983 to lead a six-horse California-bred contingent in the field of eight.
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