2020 Sunshine Millions Turf: Preview, Entries & Odds

Class and Cash and Galleon Mast have won 23 races and more than $1 million in purse earnings combined, each having raced 33 times. In addition to each other, they'll have to deal with the triple threat from trainer Mark Casse in Saturday's $150,000 Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream Park

The 18th running of the 1 1/16-mile Turf for 4-year-olds and up is among four Florida-bred stakes worth $600,000 in purses on a 12-race Sunshine Millions Day program highlighted by the $200,000 Classic. First race post time is 11:40 a.m.

Anne Scott's Galleon Mast, trained by Gulfstream-based David Fawkes, has been especially effective over his home course, finishing third or better in 22 of 25 tries and six of seven at the distance. He owns seven wins at Gulfstream, four at 1 1/16 miles, including the 2018 Turf.

"He's doing great. What a neat horse. He's nice to have around," Fawkes said. "The horse is training good, doing good, had a phenomenal work last week. He did it like it was nothing. He just cruises around there. He's a machine. He does everything right. You'd never know he was 7 years old. He's just a really neat horse."

Galleon Mast raced just four times in 2019, not getting started until late June after winning the Millions Turf Preview at Gulfstream Park West by a nose more than seven months prior. Second in two subsequent starts last year, he capped his campaign with repeat victory in the Turf Preview, this time by a head.

"I don't know what he did when he won the time before, but he seemed to have twisted his ankle a little bit so we gave him some time off. They did a wonderful job rehabbing him. He's just too nice of a horse to try to train through that little bit of an issue," Fawkes said. "So, he went up to [the] Scott's farm and they did a great job of taking care of taking care of him while he was off and he came back in good order. They sent him literally from the field into here and he did everything right. He always does."

Irad Ortiz Jr. is named to ride Galleon Mast, who has 10 wins and $608,135 in purse earnings for Fawkes, whose top horses include 2010 champion sprinter Big Drama and his half-sister, 2015 Florida-bred Horse of the Year Sheer Drama.

"He fits right in there, in the upper half. He's been just so good to us and he's never an issue around the barn," he said. "He's one of those good ol' hard-knockers. He just tries hard all the time."

Edward Short's Class and Cash was injured running fifth in the Turf last winter and did not return until Dec. 1, also going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream. The 8-year-old Exchange Rate gelding opened a clear lead early and saw it diminish gradually before finishing third, beaten two lengths by fellow Turf rival Scraps.

"We were very proud of him the last time. The race was like a stake. It was a very tough race and he did run well. I'm always proud of him. He's a really cool horse," trainer Jane Cibelli said. "There's not too many spots for him. It looks like it's going to come up pretty tough. Casse's got a couple of really tough horses in there, but we're going to give it a shot."

Claimed for $16,000 by Cibelli in March 2016, Class and Cash has won 13 races and $419,925 in purses. He earned his lone career stakes triumph with a daring rally up the rail in the 2018 Laurel Dash at Laurel Park, a six-furlong turf sprint.

"I was fortunate because when I claimed him, he was eligible for starters so the last couple years it was easy for him," Cibelli said. "Then they get a big heart because they're winning and they're winning easily. He still shows us that he loves it."

Class and Cash has four wins, two seconds and two thirds in 12 starts at Gulfstream, but is still seeking his first win at the distance with a pair of third from four tries.

"He really likes it here. He got hurt after he ran in this race last year and he was off all summer, and then we brought him back. That last race, he may have needed it honestly which you see sometimes in these older horses," Cibelli said. "But, he's doing super-good. He's doing as well as he ever has, it's just a question of whether he's a little bit long in the tooth."

Stablemates Curlin's Honor, March to the Arch and Souper Scat Daddy will represent Casse in the Turf. John Oxley and Breeze Easy's Curlin's Honor is a two-time stakes winner, the most recent coming in his last start, the Artie Schiller Nov. 9 at Aqueduct. He ran second or third in five consecutive graded-stakes last year at Woodbine.

Live Oak Plantation homebred March to the Arch was fifth by a length last out in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) Oct. 5 at Keeneland. A 2018 maiden winner at Gulfstream, he captured the 1 1/16-mile Wise Dan (G2) last June. Live Oak also campaigns Souper Scat Daddy, a two-time winner from four starts making his stakes debut.

Also entered are 2019 Claiming Crown Emerald winner Muggsamatic, Jais's Solitude, Max K.O., Second Mate and Roddick, the latter for main track only.