Cal Cup

Stage Player Risks Streak in Cal Cup Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 13, 2004) – Win machine Stage Player leads a field of 11 entered in Saturday’s $175,000 John C. Mabee California Cup Mile at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.

Sea Harbor is by Slewpy, out of the mare Strong and Willing, was bred by James and Frances Beckett and is owned by Beckett Family Trust. He has three wins in 23 starts and earnings of $148,163. Most recently he was third in a Sept. 25 optional claiming.

Ninebanks is by Smokester, out of the mare Nataka, was bred by John Toffan and is owned by Jerry Hollendorfer. He has 11 wins in 38 starts and $717,018 in earnings. He is a multiple graded winner who finished seventh in this race two years ago and has never finished better than fifth in six Santa Anita starts.

Red Warrior hasn’t run since finishing ninth in last year’s Cal Cup Classic. He is by Benchmark, out of the Plugged Nickle mare Sparkling Nickle, was bred by Madera Thoroughbreds and Kjelstrom and is owned by Miguel Rubio. He has two wins and $88,740 in earnings.

Hemet Thought is by Smokester, out of the Chimineas mare Thinker, was bred by Farrell Jones and is owned by G Racing, Cohen, VanBurger, et al. He has six wins in 28 starts and $263,339 in earnings. Most recently he was sixth in an Aug. 21 optional claimer.

Skywalker Red is by Skywalker, out of the Flying Paster mare Beautiful Redhead, was bred by Mr. and Mrs. Bart Heller and is owned by Stable, Beinstock and Winner. He has two wins, $168,228 in earnings and is making his stakes debut. Most recently he was fifth in an Aug. 26 allowance.

Black Bart is by Stage Colony, out of the Pirate’s Bounty mare Lyrical Pirate, was bred by Ed and Sharon Hudon and is owned by Thomas Metzger. He has eight wins in 30 starts and $319,630 in earnings. He has three turf stakes wins and most recently was fourth in the Aug. 20 H.F. Brubaker Handicap.

Stage Player is by Stage Colony, out of the Ole mare Ole Sis, was bred by Bartsch, Dutton and Capehart and is owned by Robert Bone. He has 10 wins in 28 starts and $358,057 in earnings. He has won his last three races and five of the last six.

American All Star is by American Day, out of the Kingmambo mare Cover Letter, was bred by John and Betty Mabee and is owned by Juan Garcia and Leonard Scofield. He has three wins in 13 starts and $84,054 in earnings. Most recently he was sixth in a Jul 29 allowance.

Lennyfromalibu entered but is expected to scratch. He won this race last year at 25-1 and went on to win three of his next four starts. He is by Unusual Heat, out of the Half a Year mare Style of the Year, was bred by J. and M. Auerbach and is owned by Madeline Auerbach. He has six wins in 18 starts and earnings of $428,906.

Super Strut is by Lil Tyler, out of the Torsion mare Miss Chez Cheveaux, was bred by Madera Thoroughbreds and is owned by Class Racing, Madera Thoroughbreds, Tom Miller, et al. This is his stakes debut after an Aug. 14 allowance win. He has three wins in eight races and $112,724 in earnings.

A to the Z is by Benchmark, out of the Replant mare Green Again, was bred by Sentinel Thoroughbred Farms and is owned by Susan Rey. He has three wins in 16 starts and $126,603 in earnings. He won the Sunland Park Handicap and most recently was sixth in the Grade II Bowling Green Handicap July 17.