2002 Cal-bred News

Star-Studded Field Expected for Cal Cup Sprint

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 26, 2002) – In what promises to be as contentious as any of the 10 California Cup races Nov. 2, the $150,000 Sprint will feature a field likely to include a millionaire, a past winner, and possibly three sons of Restless Con when the original list of 43 nominations is whittled down by Wednesday’s post-position draw.

Although Disturbingthepeace opted for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, the Cal Cup Sprint is expected to lure millionaire Men’s Exclusive, 2000 winner Full Moon Madness and California Sprint Championship winner Stoney, along with other speedballs like Echo Eddie, El Dorado Shooter, Hot Market, Rio Oro and Con Quixote.

Men’s Exclusive is a 9-year-old gelded son of Exclusive Ribot, out of the Meneval mare Men's Number, and was bred by owner H.E Reed. He has 10 wins and ran fourth in the Dubai Golden Shaheen Stakes in March. He has career earnings of more than $1.3 million and is coming off a second-place finish to Con Quixote Oct. 13. His best finish in two previous Cal Cup Sprints is a fourth in 2001.

Full Moon Madness has a current win streak of three, but has not run since winning the July 13 Answer Do Stakes. The 7-year-old gelded son of Half a Year, out of the Secretariat mare Soft Charm, was bred by John and Betty Mabee. He has 14 wins in 34 starts and career earnings of nearly $925,000.

Stoney, claimed for $20,000 in May, comes into the Sprint as the hottest of horses with a win streak of four, including the California Sprint Championship Handicap. The 4-year-old gelded son of Bold Badgett, out of the Moscow Ballet mare Fabulous Ballet, was bred by Johnston & Stonebraker. He was second in the 2001 Real Good Deal Stakes, then was off for nine months, and was claimed in his second race after the break. He has five wins in 13 starts and lifetime earnings of $254,235.

Echo Eddie, who finished second in the $2 million Golden Shaheen in Dubai and the $400,000 Smile Sprint in Florida, is home in the Sprint. He is a son of Restless Con, out of the Siyah Kalem mare Geri's Princess, and was bred by Bud Dardi. He has eight wins, including the $100,000 Ken Maddy Handicap at Golden Gate Fields, and more than $900,000 in earnings.

El Dorado Shooter is a 5-year-old son of Man From Eldorado, out of the Lypheor mare Maui Lypheor J., and was bred by trainer Cliff Delima. He has eight wins, including four stakes, and earnings of nearly $250,000.

Hot Market is a 4-year-old gelded son of Cee's Tizzy, out of the Seattle Song mare Time to Plant, and was bred by Harris Farms. He most recently was second in the Aug. 18 Pat O'Brien Handicap to Disturbingthepeace but has five wins in 14 starts and earnings of more than $250,000. He is looking for his first stakes win in the Sprint.

Rio Oro is a 7-year-old son of Oraibi, out of the Tsunami Slew mare Rio Tejo, and was bred by Rick and Michael Arthur. He has 14 wins in 30 starts, and took last year's Cal Cup Starter Sprint. He has career earnings of more than $330,000.

Con Quixote’s claim to fame is beating Men’s Exclusive by seven lengths in the Bull Dog Stakes earlier this month. He is a son of Restless Con, out of the Ferdinand mare My Isabella, and was bred by Ronna and Eric Hoffman. He has four wins in eight lifetime starts and earnings of $76,490.