Sunshine Millions Oaks

Last updated February 25, 2019

The Sunshine Millions Oaks is an American race for thoroughbred horses held in January as part of the eight-race Sunshine Millions series. Run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California or at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, half the eight-race series is run at one track and half at the other.

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses that are known for their agility, speed, and spirit.

The Sunshine Millions is a series of American races for thoroughbred horses held in January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California or at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The brainchild of prominent horseman Frank Stronach, when it first began, half of the eight Sunshine Millions races are run at one track and half at the other. Beginning in 2012, the revamped version of the Sunshine Millions feature six races at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, exclusively for Florida-breds, with a combined purse of $1.3 million. The series now consists of the:

Sunshine Millions Classic
Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes
Sunshine Millions Distaff
Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf
Sunshine Millions Sprint
Sunshine Millions Turf Sprint

Santa Anita Park thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States

Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many the world's most beautiful race track. The track is home to numerous prestigious races including both the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap as well as hosting the Breeders' Cup in 1986, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, and from 2012 to 2014, plus 2016. In 2010, Santa Anita's ownership was moved to MI Developments Inc. (MID).

Open to three-year-old fillies willing to race six furlongs on the dirt, the Sunshine Millions Oaks is an ungraded stakes event but carries a purse of $250,000. Inaugurated at seven furlongs in 2003, the race is also known as the Ocala Stud Oaks (in 2006).

A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use:

A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, or 10 chains.

A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States or Canada that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level is then assigned to the race, based on statistical analysis of the quality of the field in previous years, provided the race meets the minimum purse criteria for the grade in question. Graded stakes races are similar to Group races in Europe but the grading is more dynamic in North America.

In its eighth running in 2010, the series of races called the Sunshine Millions are restricted to horses bred either in Florida or in California and is the brainchild of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association, Inc., Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, and Magna Entertainment Corp.

Florida is the southernmost contiguous state in the United States. The state is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Straits of Florida. Florida is the 22nd-most extensive, the 3rd-most populous, and the 8th-most densely populated of the U.S. states. Jacksonville is the most populous municipality in the state and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. The Miami metropolitan area is Florida's most populous urban area. Tallahassee is the state's capital.

California is a state in the Pacific Region of the United States. With 39.6 million residents, California is the most populous U.S. state and the third-largest by area. The state capital is Sacramento. The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions, with 18.7 million and 8.8 million residents respectively. Los Angeles is California's most populous city, and the country's second most populous, after New York. California also has the nation's most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. The City and County of San Francisco is both the country's second-most densely populated major city after New York and the fifth-most densely populated county, behind only four of the five New York City boroughs.

The California Thoroughbred Breeders Association (CTBA), founded in 1937, is a non-profit organization committed to the advancement of thoroughbred breeding and racing in California. It is governed by a board of 16 directors elected by the association's general membership. The current president of the CTBA is Leigh Ann Howard.

Winners

Year	Winner	Bred	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2009	Beltene	CA	Joel Rosario	Jack Carava	La Canada Stable	1:09.16
2008	American County	Fl	Edgar Prado	Dale L. Romans	Mike Tarp	1:10.38
2007	Mistical Plan	CA	David R. Flores	Doug F. O'Neill	J. Paul Reddam	1:10.50
2006	Joint Effort	FL	Eddie Castro	Dale L. Romans	Harry J. Aleo	1:09.49
2005	Hot Storm	FL	Jerry D. Bailey	Dallas Stewart	Robert A. Adams	1:09.16
2004	Silent Sighs	CA	David R. Flores	Julio C. Canani	Pam & Martin Wygod	1:10.82
2003	Atlantic Ocean	FL	David R. Flores	Bob Baffert	The Thoroughbred Corp.	1:23.03

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References

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