2002 Cal-bred News

A Scramble for Cal Cup Juvenile

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 25, 2002) -- Sixty-eight 2-year-old colts and geldings have been nominated to the $125,000 guaranteed California Cup Juvenile. Contested over 1 1/16 miles on Santa Anita's main track, the Juvenile is part of a 10-race, $1.325 million day for Cal-breds on Saturday, Nov. 2.

With Icecoldbeeratreds and Siberland currently on the sidelines, this year's Cal Cup Juvenile should still prove a contentious affair. Only the Best, Mr. and Mrs. Alvin E. Toffel's homebred Smokester gelding, leads the list of nominees after flying victories in the Malcolm Anderson Stakes up north and the Sunny Slope Stakes at Santa Anita. In the latter on Oct. 19, he opened a quick six-length lead at the break and none of the others was gaining ground on him at the finish.

Excessive Barb is another recent stakes winner at the current Santa Anita meet with a victory in the Oct. 4 Cavonnier Stakes. Bred by Edward Hand and E. J. Hand Enterprises, the son of In Excess (Ire) was claimed at Del Mar for $62,500 by trainer Craig Lewis on behalf of Rubin Brown. In his first start for them, he ran third in the I'm Smokin Stakes after a troubled trip.

Two other nominees are stakes-placed. Martinblestme, a member of Benchmark's first crop and owned by Terry and Dawn Henn. He ran second to Siberland in the I'm Smokin after breaking his maiden by seven lengths. Crackup broke his maiden by eight lengths, then ran third in the Cavonnier. Now owned by Stanley Fulton, the Distorted Humor colt was bred by Malibu Valley Farms Inc. and Arthur and Mary Alisi.

Another recent nominee is Ghost Memo, who broke his maiden at Santa Anita by three lengths on Oct. 18. The Memo (Chi) gelding was bred by Jeff and Kimberly DeHaven. Other stakes performers nominated to the Juvenile include Alpler, Charmer Baron, Hair Jordan, Judge Swiss, Jury Box, Luzern and Oberwald. Luzern finished fourth in a turf stakes Oct. 24.