Love him or hate him, you have to give Frank Stronach his due for coming up with the clever idea of the Sunshine Millions and promoting not only California breds but those cousins from Florida.

The 8th running of the event will be run this weekend and although the schedule has been cut from 8 to 6 races, the races should be fully subscribed with quality.

The Turf, Distaff and Sprint will be run at Gulfstream while the Filly and Mare Turf, Filly and Mare Sprint and the Classic go at Santa Anita.

Let's look to the past results in Arcadia to get a clue about this year's 9-furlong $500,000 Classic. In 2004 Southern Image was a meteor on the racing scene and in only his fifth career start and after an upset win the Grade 1 Malibu did he get a perfect 3-hole trip to post a 107 Beyer in the S and M Classic.

Two years later California's favorite son Lava Man shook off a defeat in Japan to take the Classic coming from 7 and a half-lengths off the pace to post a winning 99 Beyer.

In 2008 Bill Mott's Go Between returned off a near 2-month vacation to rally from third to last at 5-1 with a winning 106 Beyer figure.

The serious contenders this year for the Classic number about 14 and Acclamation will be a bit of a long shot. He is Grade 1 placed but failed in allowance company in the first start of the year. His best asset is his tactical speed.

It's doubtful Bad Action will ship from Florida but if he does, he has the ability to compete. Eight for 22 lifetime, proven in Grade 3 company, he will need plenty of help up front to promote his late kick.

Cal Cup Classic upsetter Bold Chieftain came back to earth last time in the San Pascal but he is very consistent, has the ability to track and pounce and will be a betting number.

Catch Compari to cash. The son of Redattore hails from a barn that likes to wager, he has commanding speed and has only run one poor race and that was when he was green in the debut.

Shaken not stirred will be the calling card of Dry Martini, a Grade 2 winner trained by Barclay Tagg who will likely stay in Florida and try to cash at Gulfstream. If he does somehow ship, he will be a serious threat since the trainer does not get on planes unless he intends to get paid.

Even though Duke of Mischief took his first race of the year, he only has one other classy win on the resume and will be up against it in Arcadia.

Enriched gets the acid test. Although he was getting to Compari last time, he was not going to catch him if they went around the oval again and again.

Bridge jumpers may like Jeranimo but they will have a hard time cashing a ticket on this runner. The runner has some late foot but is challenged as far as stamina is concerned.

Backers of One Track Mind could get a brief thrill but it is hard to imagine he will be able to get the 9 furlongs successfully.

Considering that Palladio was dead last in the Classic last year, his stock will surely drop if he makes it West but he is coming off a clever win and loves this distance.

All rivals will have to have their running shoes on to beat The Usual Q.T. if the runner can transfer his turf form. He has not been beaten since August of last year, won on the square in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby and he has trained solidly for this race.

Q.T.'s trainer Jim Cassidy was looking at a $300,000 stakes in Florida on turf but he opted here as he tells Ed Golden. Cassidy: " The money enters into it, but the thing is the travel. I've never really traveled with him except to Hollywood and he's gotten a little aggressive about that. I think this is a good opportunity."

California bred Unusual Smoke has won a stakes, but it was a weak event last spring and he will need to run over, around or through horses to get there.

Unusual Suspect likes to cut it close even on his best day and will be double digits for sure if he suits up while Wicked Style, based in Florida, has never won a stakes and although he is in good hands, has a lot of things to overcome.

How does is all shake out? Enriched and Compari will again set the early action but for the former, he will likely give up the ghost before they get to the top of the lane. Compari figures to have a clear 2 or 3 length lead turning for the wire but he will be all out hold off The Usual Q. T., Bold Chieftain and Acclamation at the wire.

When the smoke clears, Compari will have pulled off the wire-to-wire victory.