The month of February is often referred to in Mumbai's racing calendar as Fantastic February, and it climaxes with the running of The Poonawalla Breeders' Multi Million, which will be run on Sunday. The race would have been renamed as The Juvenile Derby but the very strong brand of The Poonawalla Breeders Million nomenclature, rightly prevented a change.
 
The 19th running this year hits a new high in stakes with a record purse of Rs 80,75,750 of which the winner will scoop a shade under half a crore. From an original Rs 10 lakh in 1990, the prize money touched Rs 40 lakh in 1995 and Rs 60 lakh in 2000. Next year could, and should, touch the coveted Rs 1 crore mark. The summer Bangalore Derby and this year's Invitation Cup are other races at the Rs 1 crore level, besides of course The Indian Derby, which could nudge Rs 2 crore next year.
 
The PBM, the avatar by which the race is popularly known, was the brainchild of Zavaray Poonawalla, who set a new benchmark in the promotion of race days and spawned the idea of millions. The thought was that the breeders should fund a race to boost the youngstock market. For the 2008 running, 486, or about one-third of foals born in India were entered as far back as October 2006, though finally only about 15 may run.
 
Though such a rich race does come rather early in the career of juveniles, when they could be immature, superior training facilities have ensured that the best do get ready in time for this big race.
 
The PBM Day is famous for its focus on fashion and glamour, for the contest of the car and for the more than fair share of the sprinkling of models and stars. More hats, as seen at Ascot, are adorned on this day, than any other. And this year, the trademark Maruti, given as the top prize since inception, and always a huge draw, finally gives way to a Mahindra Renault Logan.
 
The presence of the legendary Frankie Dettori, as also the Derby winning Kinane and Hughes, who are back once again, would be an added draw. And as the sponsors give free entry in the public enclosure and to the ladies, another record crowd is on the cards. This will be in keeping with the trend this season which has seen a smart uptick in attendances and betting on the big days.