Florida Weekend Preview: Gulfstream to Have Eclipse Awards, Sunshine Millions on Saturday

HorseracingFLA Staff Report

Tomorrow will be one of the highlight days of Florida’s thoroughbred racing year, as Gulfstream Park holds its annual Sunshine Millions stakes races restricted to Florida breds and is the site of the annual Eclipse Awards.

The action will get underway today as Gulfstream and Tampa Bay Downs each have ten races. First post time is 12:28 p.m. at Tampa Bay and 12:35 p.m. at Gulfstream.

Both tracks will have racing as usual on Saturday and Sunday.

Gulfstream, usually dark on Mondays, will have racing on Monday Jan. 18 which is Martin Luther King Day. Gulfstream will adjust its schedule by not having  racing on Wednesday Jan. 20.

Please check this Web site and our blog each morning for post times and for race previews—including Saturday on the Sunshine Millions and Eclipse Awards.

Eclipse Awards

The Eclipse Awards are for horses, trainers, jockeys, owners and breeders and are voted on by officials of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, writers and editors of Daily Racing Form and members of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters.

There are twelve categories for horses—based on gender, age and dirt/turf.

Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is almost certain to win the Eclipse as Horse of the Year.

Voters sent in their ballots early this month.

The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Gulfstream will carry it on TVs around its property,

Xpressbet.com and DRF.com will provide coverage of the event via free live streams Saturday starting at 6:30 p.m. The program will also be available on the DISH Network courtesy of RTN.

The six Sunshine Millions races are for Florida breds, 4-years-old and up.

The Distaff and Filly and Mare Turf are restricted to females. The other four races are open to fillies and mares.  The 6-year-old mare Jewel of a Cat and the 4-year-old filly Katie’s Kiss are among likely favorites in the Turf Sprint.

Scheduled posts are:

*Fifth race (2:05 p.m.) — Filly and Mare Turf, $150,000, 1 1/16 miles

*Sixth race (2:35 p.m.) – Sprint, $150,000, six furlongs on dirt

*Seventh race (3:05 p.m.) — Turf sprint, $150,000, five furlongs

*Ninth race (4:05 p.m.)  — Distaff, $200,000, seven furlongs on dirt

*Tenth race (4;35 p.m.) – Turf, $150,000, 1 1/16 miles

*Eleventh race (5:05 p.m.) –  Classic, $250,000. 1 1/8 miles

 

 

 

Florida Weekend Preview: Gulfstream to Have Eclipse Awards, Sunshine Millions on Saturday