SUNSHINE MILLIONS NOTES

RACE 8 (F&M sprint). I did a sloppy calculation here. Shaggy Mane, the winner at almost 9-1, was the obvious choice and I missed her. Her last Beyers were 74-97-96.

That 74 compared poorly with the other horses in the race, most of whom were scored in the mid-80s. But it proves wisdom of tossing the worst of the last 3 Beyers. Only with a toss do you uncover this brilliant filly.

Her last previous race was the Cat's Cradle at Hollywood, a $100,000 race.
Said trainer Don Chatlos Jr. "He (the owner) told me to give her a prep and not worry if it's the wrong distance. Just have her ready for this race today."

In other words, that race where Shaggy Mane earned a 74 Beyer was just to keep her sharp. She faded almost 5 lengths in the stretch. Why? It was a 7.5 furlong race, and this horse has only won at 6 furlongs. After that race she got a regular weekly workout for the two month interval.

You have to be prepared to look past the last race.

Also note that the crowd was fooled in that Cat's Cradle. Shaggy Mane was entered for a workout, really, and they made her 2-1 favorite at a distance that didn't suit her.

About pace:

"I was worried, after watching the 2-year-olds hang up a 43-and-change half earlier in the day, that she might go too fast," said Chatlos. "Once they clicked 44 and a piece I knew it was over. She's unbeatable at that pace."

Shaggy Mane wired this field at an actual pace of 21/3, 44/1.

Shaggy Mane had already won at pace of 21/2 and 44/1.

7th Race, the dash for 3-year-olds.

Storm in May closes to win. Says the DRF: The pace was out of his control, and it ended up out of control. Storm in May benefited from a scalding early pace that sapped the front-runners, and he rallied for a 26-1 upset victory in the six-furlong race for 3-year-olds.

Pace 21+2, 43+4

This pace was set by Texas Voyager (B103) and Idiot Proof (B83).
It was only the second race for both horses.

Texas Voyager had run 21+4 and 44.
Idiot Proof 21+4 and 45+4
Both wired their only races by 7 lengths, and figured to hook up.

Predictable pace scenario for this race:
21&2, 44.

I would have expected Texas Voyager and Sarand Star to be there at 44 flat.

Sarand Star was steadied and stopped.

Idiot Proof improved mightily: He'd gone his maiden in 45&4 and was improved 9 ticks after a half mile. But since he truly wired the field in his only race, he wasn't asked to do more than 45&4, so no way to know what he was capable of. Texas Voyager, on the other hand, had a 44, but had to head off a rival, and so was pressed to give more in his maiden.

So Idiot Proof was as good as Texas Voyager, but that was very hard to judge, and sure didn't show up in the Beyers.