Cal-bred News

Leading Stallions Prominent in Cal Cup

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 17, 2005) -- Eight of the leading thoroughbred stallions in California -- including the River Edge Farm duo of Bertrando and Benchmark -- will be well represented at California Cup XVI.

The Cal Cup, a 10-race series for California-breds offering $1.325 million in purses, will be run at Santa Anita on Nov. 6, closing day of the 31-day fall Oak Tree meet.

Bertrando is the sire of three 3-year-old fillies and two 5-year-old geldings that have been nominated to Cal Cup races.

Bertrando fillies Kresgeville and Resident Alien are possibilities for the $150,000 John Deere Cal Cup Distaff, to be contested at about 6 ½ furlongs on Santa Anita’s unique downhill turf course.

Resident Alien also has been nominated to the $150,000 CTT/TOC Cal Cup Matron at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. So has Dark Beauty, out of the Storm Cat mare Lasting Beauty, who also is named to the $100,000 TVG Cal Cup Distance at 1 ¼ miles on the grass.

Unfurl the Flag, by Bertrando out of the Storm Cat mare Escape the Storm, won the Grade II Pat O’Brien Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 21 and is a possibility for the $150,000, six-furlong Cal Cup Dodge/Donald Valpredo Sprint. He could be joined in the Sprint lineup by Bertrando gelding Bilo, who also is a possibility for the $175,000 John C. Mabee Mile on turf on Cal Cup Day.

Benchmark’s top Cal Cup contender could be A to the Z, a 5-year-old gelding who will seek to defend his 2004 title in the Mile. Other Bertrando offspring on tap for possible Cal Cup starts are the 5-year-old mare The Yellow Sheet in the Distaff and 3-year-old filly Proposed in either the Distaff or the Matron.

Brother Derek, a 2-year-old son of Benchmark, is nominated to the $125,000 Bob Benoit Cal Cup Juvenile, but instead will contest the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile a week earlier at Belmont Park after capturing the Norfolk Stakes at Oak Tree.

Vessels Stallion Farm’s In Excess (IRE) will be represented by four possible Cal Cup starters, including Texcess, who won last year’s Juvenile. The 3-year-old gelding is being pointed to a spot in the richest Cal Cup race, the $250,000 Classic presented by Smith Barney at 1 1/8 miles, or the Mile on turf.

Other possible entrants by In Excess in either the Cal Cup Classic or Cal Cup Mile are the 4-year-old gelding Carano and 3-year-old colt Uncle Denny. Valentine Dancer, a 5-year-old millionaire mare who is the most accomplished of the In Excess progeny nominated to the Cal Cup, is likely to compete in the Matron, but also is a possibility for either the Distaff or the Distance. Out of Gilded Dancer, she is Carano’s full sister.

The venerable Cee’s Tizzy, who stands at Harris Farms, is the sire of five possible Cal Cup runners, including Tiz Afire and El Don, a pair of 4-year-old geldings nominated to the Classic. El Don also is a possibility for the Mile. Tialinga, a 4-year-old Cee’s Tizzy filly who won the Bangles and Beads Stakes on the closing day of the Fairplex Park meet, is nominated to the Sprint, Distaff and Matron on the Cal Cup card.

Tiz Also Money, a 5-year-old Cee’s Tizzy gelding, also is listed as a possible for the Cal Cup Sprint. Cee’s Irish, a 3-year-old filly, could go in either the Matron or the Distance.

Swiss Yodeler, Pepper Oaks Farm’s leading stallion, has four Cal Cup-nominated offspring. Run Rebecca Run,a 5-year-old mare, and I Can Yodele, a 3-year-old filly, could both end up in the starting gate for the Matron, though I Can Yodele could contest the Distance and Run Rebecca Run also is named to the Distaff.

Thor’s Echo, a 3-year-old gelded son of Swiss Yodeler, won the Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar and is nominated to the Cal Cup Classic, Mile and Sprint. Yodelen Dan, a 2-year-old colt, could represent his sire in the Cal Cup Juvenile.

Unusual Heat sired 2003 Cal Cup Mile champion Lennyfromalibu. His 3-year-old Orbits World and 4-year-old gelding Spencer’s Magic could give their sire, who stands at Old English Rancho, another winner in the $175,000 turf event.

Two fillies, 4-year-old Scrofa and 3-year-old Unusual Spring, could represent Unusual Heat in the Cal Cup Distaff, though Unusual Spring is a more likely starter in the Distance and Scrofa also is a possibility for the Matron.

Third-crop sire Event of the Year, who stands at Magali Farms, could have five starters in Cal Cup races. That roster includes 3-year-old gelding Panama Lane and 4-year-old colt First Rate Event, both nominated to the Classic and the Mile.

Ninety Fine, another 3-year-old gelding by Event of the Year, is considered a likely contestant in the Sprint, but could end up in the field for the Mile. Two fillies by Event of the Year, 3-year-old Fortunate Event, and 4-year-old Jewel of the Year, are nominated to the Distance. Fortunate Event is also a possibility for the Matron.

Tommy Town Thoroughbreds’ Old Topper, a second-crop sire, is the youngest among the top California stallions with multiple nominees to 2005 Cal Cup races. He is represented on the list of Mile nominees by 3-year-old geldings K C Nite Mayr and Top This and That. The latter also is a possible contestant in the Classic. Old Topper-sired 2-year-olds The Laststarfighter and Sierra Sweetie are among the runners nominated, respectively, to the Cal Cup Juvenile and Robert H. Walter Cal Cup Juvenile Fillies, both $125,000, 1 1/16-mile races.
--Larry Bortstein