2002 Cal-bred News

Freshman Sires Impact Cal Cup XIII

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 31, 2002) -- California freshman sires Swiss Yodeler, Benchmark and Western Fame will be well represented in the two juvenile contests at Cal Cup XIII at Santa Anita Saturday. California Cup offers 10 stakes races worth $1.325 million in purses exclusively for California-breds.

Pepper Oaks stallion Swiss Yodeler is sending out Oberwald in the Budweiser and Foothill Beverage Juvenile and My Honey Bunny in the XTRA 690/FOX 1150 Juvenile Fillies. Both youngsters were bred by Marvin Malmuth and are owned by Heinz Steinmann, the latter having campaigned their sire during his racing career. Oberwald became Swiss Yodeler's first stakes winner when he captured the Haggin Stakes at Hollywood Park on June 18, narrowly edging out My Honey Bunny for that honor. The filly scored her first stakes win in the Juan Gonzalez Memorial Stakes 12 days later. Swiss Yodeler led the nation's freshman sires earlier this year and currently stands fifth with 12 winners and earnings of $602,073.

The young River Edge stallion Benchmark debuts with Martinblestme in the Juvenile. Bred and owned by Terry and Dawn Henn, Martinblestme ran second to Siberland in the I'm Smokin Stakes at Del Mar after breaking his maiden by seven lengths. Benchmark has nine winners for earnings of $323,248 and is tied for 11th with Stormy Atlantic.

Entered in the Juvenile Fillies, Joan Rogers' homebred Tizalovelylady is from the first crop of Applebite Farms stallion Western Fame, who currently ranks 27th on North America's freshman sires list. Produced from a full sister to back-to-back Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow, Tizalovelylady broke her maiden by five lengths at Santa Anita Oct. 9 and has earnings of $40,740.

Although not a California stallion, Distorted Humor, the nation's second leading freshman sire, is also represented by a runner on Cal Cup Day. Crackup, bred by Malibu Valley Farms and Arthur and Mary Alisi, is entered in the Juvenile. Third in the Cavonnier Stakes after breaking his maiden by eight lengths at Del Mar, Crackup is owned by Stanley Fulton, the leading buyer at the Del Mar Yearling Sale the past two years. Distorted Humor is also the sire of the multiple stakes-winning Cal-bred filly Humorous Lady.