Cal-bred News

Cal Cup Attracts the Ladies

ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov. 2, 2005) -- Improving 3-year-old fillies Proposed and Resident Alien have been nominated to all three $150,000 races for older California-bred females that will be run on the California Cup XVI card Sunday.

The Cal Cup, featuring 10 stakes for Cal-breds competing for $1,325,000 in purses, will be run on closing day of Oak Tree’s annual fall meeting at Santa Anita.

Proposed, a Benchmark filly out of the Bertrando mare Quiet Romance, and Resident Alien, a daughter of Bertrando-Witchy, by Bel Bolide, are candidates for the Cal Cup Matron at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, the Cal Cup Distaff at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course and the Cal Cup Distance at 1 ¼ miles on turf.

Neither Proposed, the sister to Grade I winner Silent Sighs and bred and owned by Martin and Pam Wygod, nor Resident Alien, bred by the Arnold Family Trust and owned by Robert Bone, has raced on grass.

But the former, trained by John Shirreffs, has won two of her three starts this year and finished second in her other race. Shirreffs won the 2005 Kentucky Derby with Giacomo.

Resident Alien was claimed by trainer Jeff Mullins for $40,000 out of her career debut at Hollywood Park in June and won her first two starts for hew new connections

Mullins won the Cal Cup Distance last year with Test the Waters.

If either runs in the Matron, Proposed or Resident Alien could meet formidable competition from two other 3-year-old fillies, Dancing General and Fortunate Event.

Dancing General, trained by Rafael Becerra for owner Stan Fulton, broke her maiden by 10 lengths at Del Mar. Bred by Betty Mabee, she is by General Meeting out of the Nureyev mare Dance With Shadows.

Fortunate Event, who also is a possibility for the Cal Cup Distance, has won two of her nine races and finished second three times. In her first test against stakes company, she ran second to Gn. Group Meeting in the CTBA Marian Stakes at Fairplex Park. Bred by The Thoroughbred Corp., the filly by Event of the Year-Fortunee, by Wild Again, is trained by Jerry Fanning for longtime client Dan Agnew.

Mullins, who trains Resident Alien, has, in Tempting Date, another possible starter in the Cal Cup Distaff. Bred by Old English Rancho, she is a 3-year-old Perfect Mandate filly out of the Something Lucky mare Contemptible. She broke into the game at Del Mar with victories in her first two starts for her owner, Turf Express Inc.

Yet another 3-year-old filly, Jill’s Sky, four of whose five races have been on grass, including a maiden score at Bay Meadows, could be a factor in the Cal Cup Distance. She is by 1986 Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Skywalker out of the Moscow Ballet mare Yellow Corn. Noted handicapper Toby Turrell bred and owns her. She’s trained by Jenine Sahadi, who captured three Cal Cup events with Megan’s Interco -- the Mile in 1993 and 1995 and the Classic as a 7-year-old in 1996.
--Larry Bortstein