2003 Cal-bred News

Cal Cup Draws 103 Entries

ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov. 5, 2003) -- A total of 103 entries was taken Wednesday for California Cup XIV, the 10-race, $1.325 million showcase for California-breds Saturday at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.

TVG, a co-sponsor of Cal Cup, will present special preview coverage in the days leading up to the event and will televise each race live.
First post is noon and gates open at 10 a.m. Oak Tree is offering a guaranteed $1 million Pick Six on races 5-10 and will hand out Mystery Mutual Tickets worth anywhere from $2 to $100. There will also be seven awards of $10,000 each given away.

A special handicapping seminar will be held at 10:45 a.m. in the East Paddock Gardens. Special guest handicappers will be Graham Stone and Will Dixon, the South Dakota natives who won $2.7 million in the Breeders' Cup Pick Six on an $8 ticket.

The feature event will be the $250,000 Cal Cup Classic, run as the ninth race, which features a pair of past winners -- Sky Jack and Calkins Road -- as well as Grey Memo and Hot Market, the latter having lost all chance last year with a bad break.

Five of Saturday's entries already are millionaires -- Sky Jack, Grey Memo, Native Desert, Men's Exclusive and Full Moon Madness. The last two are among the eight entrants in the $150,000 Donald Valpredo Cal Cup Sprint. Men's Exclusive is 10 years old, Full Moon Madness is 8.

Trainer Doug O'Neill has 13 horses entered, including a trio (Aclevershadeofjade, Oneexcessivenite and Grant Marty A Wish) in the $150,000 John Deere Cal Cup Distaff. Roberto's Mango is the highweight.

Continental Red, second in last year's Classic, needs to finish no worse than third in this year's $175,000 John C. Mabee Cal Cup Mile to become the latest California-bred millionaire. The 7-year-old Continental Red is part of a deep field that includes two-time winner Native Desert, now 10 years old, and Spinelessjellyfish, now 7.

The $150,000 CTT/TOC Cal Cup Matron has Super High attempting to defend her crown, but the expected favorite is Cee's Elegance. Shalini is expected to be a solid favorite in the $100,000 Cal Cup Distance Handicap, a race she lost by a nose a year ago.

Del Mar Yearling Sale graduate House of Fortune and Don'tsellmeshort are the likely favorites in the $125,000 Robert H. Walter Cal Cup Juvenile Fillies and $125,000 Budweiser Cal Cup Juvenile, respectively. House of Fortune is the first Cal Cup starter for Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally.