Go Go, Mabee-breds Highlight Gold Rush III Entries

Complete Gold Rush III entries here

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Apr. 25, 2002) -- Multiple graded-stakes winner Go Go heads the cast of 94 California-breds entered for the 10 races of the $1.3 million California Gold Rush III at Hollywood Park Sunday.

The day could be a fitting tribute to the breeding achievements of John Mabee, who died Wednesday night. Ten horses bred by Mabee and his wife, Betty, were entered for Sunday, including three opposing Go Go in the $150,000 B. Thoughtful Stakes -- Grade I winner Favorite Funtime, Song of Summer and Song Of The Moment.

In Excess is the leading sire represented with nine entrants and Bertrando has eight. Two mares are double-represented: Admiral Minnie, who has Adminniestrator in the Quicken Tree and Cosummateconsumer in the Gourmet Girl; and Mada, who has Irish Muldoon in the Big Jag Stakes and Mada Moon in the Gourmet Girl.

Go Go is returning from an eight-month layoff for an ankle injury in the B. Thoughtful, at seven furlongs for older fillies and mares. It will go off as the third race. Bred by Chris Ray, the 5-year-old Go Go is by Falstaff, out of the Plugged Nickel mare Key Mist. She has eight wins in 15 starts for $547,280 in career earnings.

The 5-year-old Favorite Funtime is by Seeking the Gold, out of the Youth mare Promising Girl. She won the Grade I Santa Maria Feb. 17 after taking the Cat's Cradle and Piedra Foundation for Cal-breds last year.

Go Go is trained by Warren Stute. His brother, Mel, sends Warren's Whistle, a graduate of the Del Mar Yearling Sale and 4-year-old daughter of Wolf Power, out of the Pirateer mare Velveteen, bred by Robert Harmon.

The headliner eight race will be the $250,000 Cal Fed Snow Chief Stakes at 1 1/8 miles, where a full field of a dozen 3-year-olds is entered, each looking for his first stakes win. Gobi Dan and Calkins Road are expected to vie for favoritism in the Snow Chief.

Gobi Dan was bred by Carl and Olivia Cannata and is by Huckster, out of the Silent Fox mare Jellicent. He was second to Earl of Danby in the California Breeders Championship and third to Sharper Too in the California Sires Stakes. He has five consecutive races with Beyer Speed Figures of 80 or better and just beat Calkins Road by a neck in a Mar. 28 allowance.

Calkins Road is by Illinois Storm, out of the Lost Code mare Little Code, and was bred by Thomas and Deborah Shapiro.

Grade III Santa Ysabel winner Bella Bella Bella, now in the barn of trainer Neil Drysdale, leads a very competitive field of eight in the $200,000 Melair Stakes, the filly counterpart to the Snow Chief at 1 1/16 miles that goes off as the fifth race. Three-time Cal-bred stakes winner Lady George figures to present the stiffest competition, along with the improving Super High and sprinter Icantgoforthat.

Bred by Southern Nevada Racing Stables, Bella Bella Bella is by Soft Gold, out of the Slewpy mare Interactive, and was sold after winning her debut to Team Valor, which was looking for a replacement for last year's Cal-bred 3-year-old filly sensation Golden Ballet. Bella Bella Bella won her first three races, but was shifted to Drysdale's barn after weakening in the Grade I LasVirgenes and the Some Sensation on the turf.

Lady George was bred by Bedford Stables and Stonhenge Stable. She is by Lake George, out of the Kennedy Road mare Metro Link, and has won the Cal Cup Juvenile Fillies, the female division of the California Breeders Championship and the Boo La Boo, all at Santa Anita.

Super High was bred by owner Harris Farms. She is be High Brite, out of the productive Zanthe mare Image of Super, and is looking for her first stakes win after finishing second to Lady George in the California Breeders Championship and the Boo La Boo.

Icantgoforthat has four wins, but none at longer than 6 1/2 furlongs. She is by In Excess, out of the Copelan mare Texinadress, and was bred by Michael Pegram. She was claimed for $50,000 last November.

The $175,000 TVG Khaled Stakes, traditionally a thriller, pits two-time defending champion Spinelessjellyfish, millionaire Native Desert, Crystal Water winner Hugh Hefner and Fit For A King, who brings with him a seven-race win streak. The TVG Khaled is the seventh race. 

Spinelessjellyfish is a son of Skywalker, out of the Desert Wine mare Silky Sand Sammy, and was bred by Cardiff Farm Management. In his last race, he was nosed out by Hugh Hefner in the Crystal Water, and he also dead-heated with Native Desert in last year's California Turf Championship after losing the Cal Cup Mile to Native Desert by a head.

Native Desert, a 9-year-old gelding, was bred by Fred Watarida. He is by Desert Classic, out of the Princely Native mare Miss C. Native, and has 19 career wins and more than $1.6 million in earnings.

Hugh Hefner ran huge in the Crystal Water, his first win in 2 1/2 years. He is by Bertrando, out of the Private Account mare Personal Victory, and was bred by Edward Nahem.

Fit For A King is another 9-year-old gelding. He ended a 16-month layoff with a win Mar. 3, 2001, and hasn't lost since, reeling off seven in a row in claiming and optional claiming company. He is by General Meeting, out of the Torsion mare Princess Torsion, and was bred by John and Betty Mabee. 

Northern California-based Super Tuesday is the most accomplished of the eight older fillies and mares entered in the $175,000 Fran's Valentine, the female counterpart to the TVG Khaled at 1 1/16 on the turf and the fourth race of the day. Super Tuesday won on this track at this distance in the California Sires Stakes last July, and later won the Work the Crowd Handicap at Golden Gate Fields, two of her five wins in 15 starts. Super Tuesday is by Political Ambition, out of the Skywalker mare Vaderette, and was bred by Harris Farms and Sheila Williams. 

The Sunday opener will be the $100,000 Quicken Tree Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on the turf. Although some of the better Cal-bred marathon turf runners competed in last Sunday's Grade I San Juan Capistrano, including the winner, last year's Quicken Tree champ Ringaskiddy, eight were entered.

Seven of them have been claimed. Included are last year's runner-up, Adminniestrator, and Turkish Prize, the latter's connections paying the $5,000 supplementary fee.

Adminniestrator is by Incinderator, out of the Golden Eagle II mare Admiral Minnie, and was bred by Fred Sahadi. He was claimed for $50,000 and in his next start finished two lengths behind Hugh Hefner in the Crystal Water.

Turkish Prize is by Prized, out of the Turkoman mare Turkish Gipsy, and was bred by Bobby Ng and Cardiff Farm Management. He was claimed for $50,000 out of his last race, an Apr. 6 win at a mile on the turf.

Another top contender is Scoring Slew, also claimed for $50,000 out of his last race, a second in an Apr. 6 turf mile. Flying Rudolph bypassed the Khaled for the Quicken Tree. He is by Michael's Flyer, out of the Maskos mare Wapiti Reign, and was bred by Ellen Jackson.

Gold Rush III, with a guaranteed $1 million Pick Six, also includes four more stakes, two for maidens with purses of $60,000 each, two for first-condition allowance eligibles with purses of $70,000 each.

The Pepper Oaks Farm Stakes for maiden colts and geldings goes as the second race with one first-time starter and 10 entrants, the Rhinotek Computer Products Gourmet Girl Stakes for maiden fillies goes as the 10th and includes four first-time starters among the 12 entered. 

The Reliable Wholesale Lumber Big Jag Stakes for colts and geldings is the ninth race and has 11 lined up, the Lakeview Thoroughbred Farms Stakes for fillies is the sixth race with 11 entered.

Complete Gold Rush III entries here