A Scramble for Cal Cup Juvenile

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 30, 2002) -- Stakes winner Excessive Barb is the likely favorite when a field of eight 2-year-old colts and geldings face the starter in Saturday's $125,000 Budweiser and Foothill Beverage California Cup Juvenile.

The Juvenile, contested over 1 1/16 miles on Santa Anita's main track, is part of a 10-race, $1.325 million day for Cal-breds.

With Icecoldbeeratreds and Siberland currently on the sidelines, stakes winner Excessive Barb inherits the likely favorite role in the field of eight. He took the Oct. 4 Cavonnier Stakes at Santa Anita. 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.

The other entries are Seemore Seemore, Global Games, Oberwald, Bold N Broke and Hair Jordan.

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