March to the Arch up in time to win Sunshine Millions Turf

March to the Arch kicked of 2020 on a winning note with a thrilling victory in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Turf Jan. 18 at Gulfstream Park.

The Live Oak Plantation homebred, who won last year’s Wise Dan S. (G2) at Keeneland, now has four stakes wins to his credit and is 5-1-4 in 12 starts and has earned $373,401.

Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile contest wasn’t decided until the final jump. March to the Arch was in the three-path most of the way, and was forced even wider coming into the stretch. He made up about five lengths in the final quarter-mile to nail Muggsamatic on the wire, winning by a head in 1:41.75 on the firm turf.

“He ran a hell of a race in the Shadwell (G1, his last at Keeneland, when he was beaten just a length),” trainer Mark Casse said. “(Jockey) Tyler (Gafflione) came back and said, ‘I maybe should have won it.’ We flirted with the idea of running him in the Breeders’ Cup, but then we said if we’re not going to do that; let’s stop now and aim for the Sunshine Millions to get him back going. We did it with World Approval (Live Oak’s 2017 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner).

Out of the German mare Daveron, March to the Arch is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Global Access.