In the headline event of the annual Sunshine Millions program, the popular California-bred Bold Chieftain prevailed in a thrilling stretch drive to take the $500,000 Classic.

The 7-year-old campaigner wove through traffic under Russell Baze and found a narrow gap in the stretch, splitting horses late to prevail by a neck over Palladio.

"This ranks right up there with any race I've ever won, anywhere," Baze said. "We were in some pretty tight straights there turning for home. I didn't know if I was going to get through or not, but a hole presented itself coming to the three-sixteenths and we got through but then I had to check up and we clipped heels. Even though we got through, I had [Unusual Smoke] laying on me and it's hard for a horse to move when he's got horses laying on him like that, but he did it."

Palladio, a Florida-bred 8-year-old, held off 50-1 shot Unusual Smoke for the place. Favored The Usual QT had a six-race win streak, all on the turf, snapped as he switched to Pro-Ride. The colt appeared to handle the surface well early, tugging his way into a stalking second behind early leader Enriched, but he faded badly down the stretch to be last.

Also at Santa Anita, Quisisana rallied four wide for the lead and held on by a nose over a hard-charging Dubai Majesty to score her first stakes win in the Filly and Mare Sprint. Dubai Majesty was second in this event for the second year in a row. In the Filly and Mare Turf, favored Tight Precision won under a patient ride from Joel Rosario.

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The highlight of the Gulfstream Park portion of the card was the Sprint, which featured a blazingly fast and exciting duel between This Ones for Phil and Pashito the Che. The two hooked up out of the gate and blitzed through early fractions of 21.46 and 43.23. They were open lengths ahead of the field through five furlongs in 55.31 and came down to the wire nose to nose, with This Ones for Phil prevailing by the slimmest of margins in 1:08.81.

"When I saw [Pashito the Che] on the lead, I knew he was the horse to beat so I got right after him," jockey Johnny Velazquez said. "At the three-sixteenth’s pole I got head-to-head with him, and from then on it was both of those horses. They fought every step of the way, all the way home, and it was just the luck of bob to me, I guess. When you get to ride horses like this, and they run the way those two did, it’s very exciting."

In his first start off the claim for trainer Marty Wolfson, Jet Propulsion dictated the pace and earned a frontrunning win in the Turf under newly-minted Eclipse winner Julien Leparoux. Jet Propulsion's uncoupled stablemate Pickapocket made up some ground late for the place. Earlier, Sweet Repent made it two straight stakes wins by cruising to a daylight win in the Distaff.

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Aqueduct cancelled due to extreme cold after just three races - but one of the ones they did get in was the 70th running of the Correction Handicap. Hold That Prospect led from start to finish to earn her first stakes win in a 7 1/2 length romp under Jorge Chavez.

Heaven's Voice stumbled at the start but closed from far back to nose out Fascinatin' Rhythm for second.

State-bred showcase days often offer contentious, intriguing fields and a fun chance to feature fan favorites. The Sunshine Millions, one of the more innovative of these showcases, is no exception. The brainchild of Frank Stronach, the program consists of six races (two were cut this year to save the purses of the others) limited to horses bred in Florida or California. Three races are run at Santa Anita, the other three at Gulfstream Park, with the locales trading races each year. The eighth annual rendition of the event is this afternoon.

The highlight of the program will be the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Classic, to be run at Santa Anita this year. A standout on class is The Usual QT, who puts a six-race win streak on the line while switching from turf to the Pro-Ride main track. Three of those victories came in stakes, including the Grade I Hollywood Derby. The Usual QT, making his 4-year-old debut, leaves from post seven in an expected field of 10 under Victor Espinoza.
The colt's chief competition could come from the popular California campaigner Bold Chieftain, who breaks from the nine under Russell Baze. The 7-year-old, who has earned over $1.1 million lifetime, ended his 2009 campaign with wins in the Governors Handicap, California Cup Classic and San Quentin Handicap.

Also on the Santa Anita portion of the card:
Filly and Mare Sprint: Last year's 1-2 finishers in this event, High Resolve and Dubai Majesty, return for a rematch. Both could be compromised by the draw in a full field for the six furlong event; High Resolve drew the 11 under Baze and Dubai Majesty breaks from 10 under Jamie Theriot.
Filly and Mare Turf: Pretty Unusual wheels back after upsetting the Grade II El Encino on Jan. 17. She was the second graded winner in as many days for Chantal Sutherland, who will be back aboard today.

On the Gulfstream portion of the card:
Sprint: This figures to be a blazingly fast affair between This Ones For Phil and Pashito the Che. This Ones For Phil won the now-defunct Sunshine Millions Dash last year and competed successfully in graded company in the spring; he returned from a five-month break to win an optional event at Laurel last time out. Johnny Velazquez will be aboard for trainer Rick Dutrow, and they leave from the six. Pashito the Che breaks from the four under Eibar Coa and adds blinkers for the first time. He won the Gallant Bob and Jack Dudley Sprint last fall and was second in the Gravesend at Aqueduct last time out. An upset threat is Accredit, who won the Grade II Churchill Downs Stakes last year and gets the services of Eclipse champion jockey Julien Leparoux.
Distaff: Sweet Repent came on late to nip Amazing by a nose in the Grade III Stage Door Betty at Calder last time out. Both return for a rematch today - and Sweet Repent gets an extra sixteenth of a mile to rally into.
Turf: Duke of Mischief, who spent some time on the major 3-year-old circuit last year, won the Grade III Fort Lauderdale here last time out and figures in this spot. He breaks from the three under Coa. Soldier's Dancer, who has battled minor injuries throughout his career and continually returns to compete at the stakes level, was second in this race last year. He won the PTHA Presidents Cup and the Bonnie Heath Turf Cup leading into this and drew post 8 under Manuel Cruz.
Former claimer Jet Propulsion gets the services of Leparoux. The 7-year-old is 44-12-10-3 lifetime, including several graded placings, and has earned nearly $400,000.

Meanwhile, at Aqueduct, a small but contentious field of five fillies and mares goes six furlongs in the listed Correction Handicap. Hold That Prospect, a 2-1 shot on the morning line, breaks from the five under Jorge Chavez and has the speed to control the race from the outset. She is 11-for-25 lifetime and sports a mark of 6-4-1-0 since trainer Gary Gullo claimed her last March; she also has an affinity for Aqueduct, winning an optional claimer and a starter handicap here in the fall.
Fascinatin’ Rhythm kept solid company in 2009; she finished third in the Grade II Fritchie at Laurel behind Royale Michele and Seventh Street, who went on to win the Grade I Go For Wand at Saratoga. The Laurel-based mare breaks from the three under Rosie Napravnik, who has enjoyed a solid winter in New York.
Fascinatin’ Rhythm and fellow Correction entrant Heaven’s Voice were 2-3 in the Squan Song at Laurel last out. Heaven’s Voice picks up the services of leading rider Ramon Dominguez and leaves from the two. What Time It Is, on the rail, won twice and was third in a handicap in five starts last year, but is making her first start since June 6. Rounding out the field is the Brazilian-bred Bright Halo, the 2007 champion 2-year-old filly in Uruguay. She has seven wins from nine lifetime starts, but missed the board in her first start in this country.