Cal Cup

Benoit Photo
$150,000 Dodge/Donald Valpredo Cal Cup Sprint
AREYOUTALKINTOME

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 16, 2004) – Lukewarm favorite Areyoutalkintome outfought millionaire stablemate Full Moon Madness to win Saturday’s $150,000 Dodge/Donald Valpredo Cal Cup Sprint at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.

Areyoutalkintome is by Smokester, out of the Storm Bird mare Andrea Gail, was bred by John Toffan and Trudy McCaffery and is owned by Manzani or O’Neill or Sarno. He is trained by Doug O’Neill, who also trains Full Moon Madness, and was ridden by Corey Nakatani.

“We were pulling for a dead-heat there at the eighth pole, but we’re just so happy they both ran good,” said O’Neill.

“He’s just as honest as they come,” said Nakatani. “I thought he was much the best.”

Areyoutalkintome won for the fifth time in 13 starts and raised his earnings to $277,892. He was coming off a neck loss in the California Sprint Championship to Green Team, last year’s Cal Cup Sprint winner who finished third Saturday.

A $10,000 Barretts purchase, Areyoutalkintome was claimed for $32,000 out of his third start and maiden victory Dec. 20, 2003. He has not finished worse than third in 10 starts since, including a win in the Aug. 6 Real Good Deal Stakes.

Sent off as the 5-2 favorite, Areyoutalkintome ran the six furlongs in 1:08.84 and won by a head.