Madera Thoroughbreds 

Take a map of the United States and trace a line from Lexington, Ky., all the way to California. It will come through just north of Fresno, where the town of Madera is located. There must be a strip of land running across the country that's conducive to the raising of good Thoroughbreds.

One such horseman who believed in the area's potential was George A. Pope Jr. It was at his 16,0000-acre El Peco Ranch in Madera where Pope bred Decidedly, the 1962 Kentucky Derby winner, and raised an impressive string of homebreds to race overseas in Europe.

Located not far from where El Peco Ranch once existed, Cal and Jill Fischer's Madera Thoroughbreds is also carving out a niche for itself as Thoroughbred breeding powerhouse in the modern era. Flanking the banks of the Fresno River, Madera Thoroughbreds has close ties to two California Cup winners and the dam of Champion Free House.

The two Cal Cup winners were Seattle Carla and Awesome Daze, who captured the Distaff and the Classic in 1997. Seattle Carla was owned by Don Everett, a longtime friend and client of Cal Fischer. Awesome Daze was actually foaled at the Madera ranch and bred by Robert Monroy. A son of resident stallion Lil Tyler, he won his Cal Cup for television producer David Milch. Cal recently claimed Awesome Daze for $10,000 and retired him to his birthplace.

Everett stood the stallion Tonzarun at Madera Thoroughbreds for a few seasons in the late 1980s. When the horse failed to attract suitable books of mares, Everett shipped Tonzarun and his mares back to his home in Nebraska. He left behind a yearling Vigors--Hotsie Totsie filly that was foaled at the Madera ranch in 1988. 

Cal and Jill sold the Vigors filly at the 1989 Northern California mixed sale, getting $9,500 for her. Pinhooked back into the 1990 Barretts March 2-year-old sale, she was purchased by John Toffan and Trudy McCaffery for $40,000. Running under the name of Fountain Lake, she won the 1991 Fleet Diver Handicap at Bay Meadows and amassed career earnings of $57,778. She went on to become the dam of two-time California-bred Horse of the Year Free House and was voted the state's Broodmare of the Year in 1997.

Although Awesome Daze and Fountain Lake captured glory for other people, the Fischers remain optimistic that there's a California Cup out there with their name on it. They have entered Serene in Seattle in the Distaff and are hoping this daughter of resident stallion Boulder Dam could make their wishes reality on Saturday, Nov. 3, when California Cup is run for the 12th time at Santa Anita.