2002 Cal-bred News

$175,000 John C. Mabee Cal Cup Mile
TURKISH PRIZE

ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov. 2, 2002) -- Turkish Prize, claimed out of his last race for $62,500, paid big dividends Saturday with a narrow victory over hard-luck Spinelessjellyfish in the $175,000 John C. Mabee California Cup Mile at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.

The 7-year-old gelded son of Prized, out of the Turkoman mare Turkish Gipsy, was bred by Cardiff Farm Management and Bobby Ng. He went off at odds of 8-1, rallied between horses in deep stretch and barely got up in 1:34.82.

Turkish Prize was claimed out of his last three races, most recently Oct 9 at Santa Anita for $62,500 on the re-claim by trainer Ted West for owner Jeffrey Sengara.

"He's just a pro," said West. "He's 7-years old and he hasn't acted like it since we claimed him. He's really trained great and I thought he was going to run a good race, because he always does. I did tell Victor to save ground because it was such a big field (13 horses). Victor gave him a good trip and down the lane, I just can't believe how game he was."

This was Turkish Prize's 11th win in 40 career starts and the $105,000 first-place purse raised his earnings to $591,099.

"There were so many horses in the race, I knew I couldn't just go around the field and lose a lot of ground, so all the way around I sat between horses and I just wanted to take a shot," said winning jockey Victor Espinoza. "If it opened up, maybe we'd get lucky, and if not, well, sometimes you don't get through. That was the best chance, to save some ground and hope for the best, It was a little tight, and I brushed a little bit with the horse inside of me, but it turned out to be pretty clean for us."

Turkish Prize finished fourth in last year's Cal Cup Starter Handicap and was second in this year's Apr. 28 Quicken Tree Stakes. He is 4-for-12 at the mile turf distance of this race.

Spinelessjellyfish, second by a head in the Cal Cup Mile last year, was second again this year by a neck as the 7-2 favorite. Adminniestrator, winner of the Quicken Tree Stakes, was third.