Manchurian High Wins Sunshine Millions Turf

Late-running Manchurian High swept to the lead on the far outside at the top of the stretch and kept going, pulling away to an authoritative win in the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes on Saturday Jan. 17 at Gulfstream Park .

 

The 1 1/16-mile Turf was the second of five stakes and one of two on grass during the 13th annual Sunshine Millions program.

 

Manchurian High, a Florida-bred 7-year-old son of The Daddy, won by 3 1/2-lengths for owner-trainer Lilli Kurtinecz, who privately purchased the gelding from previous owner No Palla Stables during the winter of 2013 with a loan from her parents. He continues to pay big dividends for the 29-year-old, who enjoyed a victory with him in the 2014 Laurel Turf Cup. 

 

Kurtinecz planned to train the horse for the four-mile Maryland Hunt Cup, but he continued to excel on the flat, ending 2014 finishing third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, in the W.L. McKnight (gr. III) at Gulfstream.

 

"He's never run over the jumps, but he did run on the flat at a steeplechase meet," a beaming Kurtinecz said. "He keeps doing this, so it's hard to convince anyone to put him over the jumps right now."

 

Breaking from post seven under jockey Luis Saez in the Sunshine Millions Turf, Manchurian High raced near the back of a nine-horse field as longshots Breitling Flyer and Decisive Moment led through a quarter-mile in :23.56 and a half in :46.96.

 

Saez steadily gained ground along the outside on the backstretch before taking over from Decisive Moment and sprinting clear, hitting the wire in 1:43.03 and paying $8.20 as the 3-1 third choice.

 

Reporting Star came on to finish second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Bad Debt, who hit the board in the Turf for the fourth consecutive year.

 

The victory for Saez came a day after injuring his leg when his mount reared in the starting gate prior to Friday's fifth race. He was taken to Memorial Regional, where X-rays showed no fractures.

 

Manchurian High, who has an 8-3-8 career line from 31 starts and $322,990 in earnings, was bred by Greg Norman. His dam is the unraced El Corredor mare Corredor's Wind.

 

Also on the card, Arindel Farm's homebred Pink Poppy tallied her first stakes victory in the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Stakes.

 

With Julien Leparoux riding for trainer Martin Wolfson, the 4-year-old daugher of Tiznow   moved to lead from early pacesetter Salamera after racing in fifth through a dawdling half mile and was never challenged en route to a 1 1/2-length win at 11-1 odds . 

 

Waterway Run was second, and Awesome Flower was third in the 10-horse field. 

 

Pink Poppy ($25.40)  finished 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.41. She has a 3-0-1 record from seven career starts.

 

Pink Poppy was one of three Wolfson-trained horses in the Filly & Mare field, along with Rock On Baby (fourth) and E B Ryder (sixth). It was his third victory in the race, following Stay Forever in 2003 and Trip for A.J. in 2011.

 

In her previous start, Pink Poppy was seventh, beaten 2 3/4 lengths in the 1 1/16-mile Tropical Park Oaks Dec. 20 at Gulfstream Park after running near the back of a 14-horse field.

 

"I thought this filly would be laying very close, and Julien just felt it, too. She got to the lead pretty easily," Wolfson said. "Her last race was sneaky-good. She got beat [2 3/4] lengths and the rider had her 15 lengths back at the three-eighths pole. I knew she'd run good, but I didn't know she could make the lead that early.

 

"When they came to her in the stretch, she drew away and had something left. When you've got Julien, there's nobody better on turf."

 

The dam of Florida-bred Pink Poppy is the Rahy mare Boa.