2002 Cal-bred News

Cal Cup Starter Sprint Draws 18 Nominations

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 25, 2002) -- The names of 18 horses, including a half-brother to last year's winner, have been placed in nomination for the $50,000 California Cup Sprint to be run Saturday, Nov. 2. For 3-year-olds and upward who have started for a claiming price of $32,000 or less in 2002, this year's Starter Sprint will be contested over six furlongs on the main track.

Giovannetti, a $54,000 graduate of the 2000 Del Mar Yearling Sale, is a half-brother to 2001 Starter Sprint winner Rio Oro and a full brother to stakes winner Guillermo. Rick and Michael Arthur bred the 3-year-old son of Memo (Chi), who was claimed by current owner Bernard Schiappa at Bay Meadows in September. Winner of his first two starts, Giovannetti captured a $45,000 allowance race at Santa Anita on Oct. 9 and has won or placed in five of six outings.

Stakes-winning Debonair Joe was also claimed recently for $12,500, going to current owner Lynne Ristad from Mira Loma Thoroughbred Farm at Fairplex Park in September. Mira Loma bred Debonair Joe in partnership with trainer Craig Lewis, and the son of Ole captured the Beau Brummel Stakes and placed in three other stakes for them last year and ran fourth in the 2001 Cal Cup Juvenile. He is entered Oct. 26 in a $40,000 claiming sprint.

Black Bart, Edmund and Sharon Hudon's homebred son of Stage Colony and stakes-winning Lyrical Pirate, ran second in the Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar last summer and has won twice since he started competing in sprints.

The Walter Family Trust's homebred Court Costs is the first foal out of California champion Charm a Gendarme, who has since produced multiple stakes winner Tout Charmant and a $4 million Keeneland July yearling. Court Costs captured an allowance race at Solano in July.

Harris Farms and Per Antonsen's homebred Water Czar, a 4-year-old Moscow Ballet gelding, has finished off the board just once in 11 starts. Since breaking his maiden during the summer, he has turned into a nice allowance sprinter, winning two six-furlong contests up north.

Hal Earnhardt's homebred Sonoita captured a six-furlong claimer at Del Mar in July and placed in two other claiming sprints at the seaside track. The 3-year-old colt is by In Excess (Ire), who also sired Earnhardt's California champions Indian Charlie and In Excessive Bull.

Also nominated are Affairintheforest, Always Game, Big Team Spirit, Coconut Mango, Face, Fierce Heart, Good Ol' Uncle Joe, Kedington, Kenny Mais, La Bandera, Memori, and Stoney. The latter, claimed by Stephen and Cyndi Weeks in May, recently captured the $125,000 California Sprint Championship at Bay Meadows and may opt instead for the $150,000 Cal Cup Sprint.