$100,000 TVG Cal Cup Distance
MOSCOW BURNING

ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov. 6, 2005) – Grade II winner Moscow Burning, fresh off a 6 ½-month vacation, scored a wire-to-wire win in the California Cup Distance Handicap at Oak Tree at Santa Anita Sunday for the second time.

The daughter of Moscow Burning, out of the Mr. Leader mare Burning Desire, was bred by Harris Farms and Ken Maddy Trust, is owned by Bullseye Racing, trained by James Cassidy and was ridden by Kent Desormeaux. She won by three-quarters of a length, her ninth win in 23 starts, raising her career earnings to $896,535. She also won the race in 2003.

“She’s just a class act,” said Cassidy. “Believe me, she’s the goods. I mean, how many horses can come back after six months and run a mile and a quarter like that?

The 7-5 favorite ran the 1 ¼ miles on turf in 2:00.72, a record for the race that’s been run at this distance four times. She was racing for the first time since finishing fifth in the Apr. 17 Grade II Santa Barbara Handicap and won for the first time since the Grade II Sheepshead Bay Handicap at Belmont 18 months ago.

“She looks like a million dollars,” said Desormeaux. “You never really know what to expect at the quarter pole – will they gut it out? She’s been telling us she would, but you never know until they do it. And she did it. She felt strong.”

Dancing General was second and longshot Fortunate Event was third in the six-horse field.

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