2002 Cal-bred News

Cal Cup Starter Sprint Draws Stoney

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 25, 2002) -- Thirteen horses, including the red-hot Stoney and a half-brother to last year's winner, were entered for the $50,000 Kenneth M. Schiffer California Cup Sprint to be run Saturday at Santa Anita.

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.

Stephen and Cyndi Weeks claimed Stoney at Hollywood Park last May with an eye toward this race. When the son of Bold Badgett reeled off three straight allowance wins and captured the California Sprint Championship at Bay Meadows for his first stakes score earlier this month, they almost went for the $150,000 Cal Cup Sprint instead. Stoney was bred by E. W. (Bud) Johnston and Marjorie Stonebraker.

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.

Also entered are Affairintheforest, Big Team Spirit, Coconut Mango, Humbolt Avenue, Kenny Mais, La Bandera, Memori, and South City.