Cal-bred News

$125,000 Bob Benoit Cal Cup Juvenile
BRITE MANEUVERS

ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov. 6, 2005) – Longshot Brite Maneuvers was clear of a nasty spill in the stretch and went on to win Sunday’s $125,000 Bob Benoit California Cup Juvenile, the first of 10 stakes on the Cal Cup XVI card at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.

Brite Maneuvers is by High Brite, out of the Brocco mare Broccozola, was bred by Curtis Jones, is owned by Howard Roberts Farm, was ridden by Corey Nakatani and trained by Steve Knapp, who clinched the Oak Tree riding title with the win.

“I have to thank my exercise rider, Steve Trevino,” said Knapp. “he did a great job getting this horse to settled down in the mornings and getting him ready to go a mile and a sixteenth. We were pretty sure he could run long.”

Brite Maneuvers was claimed after his second start for $40,000 and has three consecutive wins in nine starts, with earnings of $119,100. He ran the 1 1/16 miles, his first try around two turns, in 1:45.23 at odds of 11-1.

Catouttathebag, the original third-place finisher, was placed second by the stewards after an inquiry and Moonlite Romance was placed third.

“He’s been developing pretty nice and moving forward,” said Hakatani. “Fortunately, today we came out the victor. Steve’s the leading trainer and this is his first Cal Cup win and we’re going to go a long way together.”

The race was marred by a spill just past the eighth pole when multiple stakes winner Direct Connect, after a bold outside move around the turn to take the lead, ran erratically in the stretch and cut in front of Irish Bar, who fell after clipping heels and stepped over jockey Paul Atkinson. After several moments, Atkinson rose to his feet and walked to the track ambulance.

Jockey Garrett Gomez momentarily eased Direct Connect and looked over his shoulder after Atkinson went down while Brite Maneuvers reclaimed the lead along the rail and went on for the three-quarter length victory. Direct Connect, the original second-place finisher, was disqualified for interference and placed ninth.

Irish Bar regained his feet and walked off. Ata a Boy Russ was eased crossing the finish line and was vanned off.