sunshine millions classic | Horse Racing Free Tips

IAB Stables and Walter Fralick's Quenane, the longest shot in a field full of stakes winners, showed off his fondness for the course and conditions by splashing to a one-length victory over late-running favorite Noble Drama in Saturday's $60,000 Millions Classic Preview at Gulfstream Park West in Miami Gardens, Fla.

The Classic Preview for 3-year-olds and up, shortened to one mile this year, was the first of five dirt stakes for Florida-breds on the program, serving as a prep for the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Classic Jan. 16 during Gulfstream Park's Championship Meet.

Quenane ($57.60), a 6-year-old Algorithms gelding, led every step of the way to earn his 13th lifetime victory and fourth in seven tries at Gulfstream West. For his career, Quenane has a record of 4-4-1 in 13 attempts on an off track.

Jockey Angel Arroyo and Quenane raced to the outside of Debbie's Passion on the short run to the first turn and around the bend before taking over willingly into the backstretch, with defending champion Red Crescent also racing forwardly in third. The first quarter-mile went in 24.40 seconds as Red Crescent moved up to a pressing position.

Red Crescent continued to loom a threat through a half in 47.70, a half-length behind Quenane, with Debbie's Passion third and Noble Drama beginning to rev up along the inside after trailing early. Red Crescent appeared to nudge a neck in front between calls but Quenane responded by surging again and remaining in front after six furlongs in 1:11.97.

Arroyo hugged the rail turning for home and set sail for the wire while Noble Drama, a winner of back-to-back stakes but engaged in a long drive under Emisael Jaramillo, shifted to the far outside to make a belated bid for second. Debbie's Passion held third, followed by Garter and Tie and Red Crescent.

“Noble Drama is in terrific form and Red Crescent won this race last year, and so far Quenane in keeping company with them over the summer really hadn't been effective with them and faced some challenges when running against them,” winning trainer Tamara Levy said. “Not to slight Quenane – he's a very good horse and he's exceeded our expectations of him time and time again. If he can work it out and find away, he'll get it done.”

Claimed by Levy as a 3-year-old for $6,250 out of a third-place finish July 9, 2017, in what was his 10th start, Quenane moved over the $300,000 mark in lifetime purses with Saturday's win. Levy plans to point him to the 22nd Claiming Crown Dec. 5 on opening day of the 2020-2021 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park.

“He's never won gate to wire in his career. He knows the pace, he's an older horse. He knows where the wire is. He knows the job, so you've got to kind of let him decide. Sometimes he knows best,” Levy said. “Angel did a terrific job today.”

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Noble Drama's accomplishments may pale in comparison to those of his kin, but Harold Queen's homebred 5-year-old gelding has carved out quite a profitable niche for himself.

Out of Queen Drama, a half-sister to 2010 Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Big Drama and a full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Sheer Drama, Noble Drama has established himself as a dominating force in the Florida-bred ranks, amassing nearly $600,000 in purse earnings during a 22-race career that includes five stakes wins and 10 stakes placings.

The David Fawkes-trained son of Gone Astray will seek to continue his dominance in Saturday's $60,000 Millions Classic Preview, a mile event for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up on the nine-race Sunshine Millions Preview card at Gulfstream Park West that include four other stakes.

“Hopefully, this will be the steppingstone to the next one. He's doing really good,” said Fawkes, referring to the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park Jan. 16.

Noble Drama enters the Classic Preview in career-best form, coming off back-to-back victories at Gulfstream in the Sept. 6 Benny The Bull at seven furlongs and the Sept. 26 FSS Wildcat Heir at a mile around one turn.

“He's been really good to us recently,” Fawkes said. “He's gotten older and smarter and he really likes what he's doing.”

In the Benny The Bull, Noble Drama overcame bumping at the start and rallied from seventh to win going away by 2 ½ lengths. In the Wildcat Heir, he settled in mid-pack before kicking in through the stretch to win by a length.

The very versatile gelding has won multiple stakes around two turns, including a victory in the 1 1/8-mile Sunshine Millions Classic last year.

“He beat some nice horses last time. He's really turned into a decent horse. You'd love to have a barn full of horses like him,” Fawkes said.

Emisael Jaramillo has the return mount aboard Noble Drama.

Jacks or Better Farm's Garter and Tie, one of the nice horses beaten by Noble Drama in the Wildcat Heir, is scheduled to return in the Classic Preview. The 4-year-old son of Brooks 'n Down made a big move on the turn into the homestretch before making a strong stretch drive, in which he closed the gap from 3 ½ lengths to a length in the final eighth of a mile.

“We've met Noble Drama four times and he's beaten us three times,” trainer Ralph Nicks said. “So, we'll have to improve.”

The Nicks trainee was stakes-placed in his previous two starts despite encountering trouble at the start of both races. He rallied to finish second behind heavily favored Cool Arrow in the Opening Lead before checking in third behind Noble Drama in the Wildcat Heir.

“He's doing well. The only thing with him is: his two-turn races haven't been as good as his one-turn races,” Nicks said. “That's always a question with him. We'll see what happens.

Edgard Zayas has the mount aboard Garter and Tie, who broke his maiden in the 2018 FSS Affirmed and has won two other stakes.

Equine Authority Inc.'s Red Crescent is set to title defense in the Millions Classic Preview, which he won by 1 ½ lengths last year. The 6-year-old son of Overdriven went on to finish second behind Noble Drama in the Sunshine Millions Classic, but is winless in five starts this year. The John Vinson-trained gelding finished fifth last time out in the Benny The Bull, in which he faded after stalking the pace while coming off a two-month layoff.

In his two prior starts, he finished third behind victorious Eye of a Jedi, finishing 1 ¾ lengths behind runner-up Noble Drama in the Sea of Tranquility and finished a length behind runner-up and multiple-stakes winner Diamond Oops in an optional claiming allowance.

Samy Camacho has the mount aboard Red Crescent.

Raymond Mamone's Debbie's Passion, IAB Stables and Walter Fralick's Quenane round out the field.

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