{{primary sources, date=April 2010
The Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes is a race for
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
horses
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 milli ...
held in January at
Santa Anita Park
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 early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious race ...
in
Arcadia, California
Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of t ...
or at
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park is a Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida, Hallandale Beach, Florida, United States. It is among the most important venues for ...
in
Hallandale Beach, Florida
Hallandale Beach (formerly known simply as Hallandale) is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Luther Halland, the son of a Swedish worker for Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. It is al ...
. Half the eight races of the Sunshine Millions are run at one track and half at the other.
Open to four-year-olds and older willing to race one and one/eighth miles on the
turf
Sod is the upper layer of turf that is harvested for transplanting. Turf consists of a variable thickness of a soil medium that supports a community of turfgrasses.
In British and Australian English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', ...
, the Sunshine Millions Turf is an ungraded stakes event but currently carries a purse of $75,000. This race is also known as the Cloverleaf Farms Turf (in 2006) as part of the eight-race Sunshine Millions series.
In its 14th running in 2015, the series of races called the Sunshine Millions are restricted to horses bred either in
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
or in
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
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 Corporation.
Past winners
* 2022 – Lure Him In (
Junior Alvarado
Junior Rafael Alvarado (born May 20, 1986) is a Venezuelan jockey who competes in the sport of American Thoroughbred horse racing. He rode the winning horse in the 2025 Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes.
Background
His father, Rafael Alvar ...
Luis Saez
Luis Saez (born May 19, 1992) is a Panamanian jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Saez rode Maximum Security to finish first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby but was subsequently disqualified due to interference. The two later won the world's ...
Luis Saez
Luis Saez (born May 19, 1992) is a Panamanian jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Saez rode Maximum Security to finish first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby but was subsequently disqualified due to interference. The two later won the world's ...
)
* 2014 – Star Channel (Fla-bred)
* 2013 – Teaks North (Fla-bred)
* 2012 – Little Mike (Fla-bred) (Joe Bravo)
* 2011 – Caracortado (Cal-bred) ( Joe Talamo)
* 2010 – Jet Propulsion (Fla-bred) (
Julien Leparoux
Julien R. Leparoux (born July 15, 1983 in Senlis, Oise, France) is a French Eclipse Award winning jockey currently racing in the United States. He has won seven Breeders' Cup races, including the 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile with Champion Turf Mare T ...
)
* 2009 – Soldier's Dancer (Fla-bred) (
Rafael Bejarano
Rafael Bejarano (born June 23, 1982) is a Pervuian jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. He trained at the Peruvian national riding school before embarking on his professional career in 1999. Having met with success, including winning the ...
Kent Desormeaux
Kent Jason Desormeaux (born February 27, 1970) is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year with 598 wins in 1989. He has won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes t ...
)
* 2007 –
Lava Man
Lava Man (foaled on March 20, 2001 in California) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was once claimed for $50,000 but wound up being inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2015. In a forty-seven race career, despit ...
(Cal-bred) (
Corey Nakatani
Corey S. Nakatani (born October 21, 1970) is a retired American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He has won 3,909 races in his career including the Kentucky Oaks twice and the Strub Stakes four times. He has won ten races in the Bre ...
)
* 2006 –
Miesque's Approval
Miesque's Approval (foaled March 3, 1999 in Florida) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2006 Breeders' Cup Mile and was voted that year's American Champion Male Turf Horse. He was bred and raced by Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Planta ...
Tyler Baze
Tyler Baze (born October 19, 1982) is an American Champion jockey from Seattle, Washington. He was born into a racing family, since both of his parents were jockeys, as is his uncle, Gary Baze. His second cousin is U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jocke ...