Photo: MEC
The best chance for one of the shippers for the three
Sunshine Millions races at Gulfstream Saturday may come from Gary and Cecil
Barber’s 6-year-old gelding Machismo, invading from California for trainer John
Sadler to challenge This Ones for Phil in the $200,000 Sprint at six furlongs.
Jockey Manoel Cruz picks up the mount on Machismo as he
makes his first start since posting an allowance victory at Hollywood
Park
on Dec. 31. The Florida-bred son of Trippi finished second behind Georgie Boy
in the Sprint run at Santa Anita last year and finished eighth in the Dubai
Golden Shaheen Stakes (G1) in late March before going to the sidelines for
eight months.
Jockey John R. Velezquez rides This Ones for Phil as he
makes his first start since winning an allowance race at Laurel Park in Maryland
on Nov. 28. The Florida-bred son of Untuttable won the Sunshine Millions Dash
here last January in 1:09 flat in his first start for his current connections
after being developed at Calder as a 2-year-old and sold privately.
This Ones for Phil ran another big race to finish second by
a half-length behind Big Drama in the Swale Stakes (G2) run in track record
time in his next start and was elevated to first on a disqualification. After
another runner-up effort in the Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct and fifth-place
try in the Woody Stephens (G2) at Belmont
Park
on June 6, he went to the sidelines until the Laurel
allowance score.
The horse to beat in the Sprint on current form may be Tuna
Stable and Off the Hook LLC’s 4-year-old Pashito the Che with regular rider
Eibar Coa to ride for trainer Scott
Lake.
The Florida-bred colt by Flatter shows six wins and four seconds in his last 10
starts, most recently losing a nose decision when runner-up in the Gravesend
Handicap at Aqueduct on Dec. 26.
Prior to the Gravesend, Pashito the Che had posted three
straight stakes victories – the Commemorate at Belmont in late September,
Gallant Bob Handicap at Philadelphia Park in October and Jack Dudley Sprint
Handicap at Calder on Nov. 14.
Completing the field of seven drawn for the Sprint are
Jagger Inc.’s Sneaking Uponyou, Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Accredit, Thor-Bred
Stable’s Drift King and Kenneth Hoffman’s Rockerfeller.
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