Cal Cup

Saturday, Oct. 28th Oak Tree at Santa Anita.

Breeders in Cal Cup Spotlight

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 20, 2006) -- One of the most compelling storylines in Cal Cup XVII is the final race in the illustrious career of Moscow Burning.

The 6-year-old Moscow Ballet-Burning Desire mare, who will be sold in Kentucky next month, is the leading Cal-bred female earner in history with a bankroll of $1,411,800 going into the $100,000 Cal Cup Distance Handicap, a race she won in 2003 and 2005.

Moscow Burning also is one of 16 runners nominated to this year’s Cal Cup who were bred or co-bred by Harris Farms Inc., the highest representation for any farm in the state. Three hundred and sixty four horses were nominated for the eight major Cal Cup stakes by the early bird deadline of Aug. 21.

The 2006 Cal Cup, exclusively for Cal-breds worth $1,325,000 in purses, will be contested at Oak Tree on Oct. 28, the next-to-last day of the 26-day fall meet at Santa Anita.

Harris Farms bred the winners of six previous Cal Cup events, joining forces with Ken Maddy Trust on Moscow Burning. Among the other Harris Farms nominees this year are stakes-winners El Don, Now Victory and Spot the Diplomat.

El Don (Cee’s Tizzy-Timed Perfectly) and Now Victory (Sharp Victor-Zoelu) are 5-year-old geldings named to both the $250,000 Classic and $175,000 Mile, the two most lucrative Cal Cup events. El Don has won the California Turf Championship at Bay Meadows. Now Victory took the 2006 Joseph T. Grace Handicap at Santa Rosa.

Spot the Diplomat (Worldly Manner-Scare Tactics) won both the Graduation and I’m Smokin Stakes at the 2006 Del Mar meet and is named to the Cal Cup $125,000 Juvenile.

Winning Tactics, Spot the Diplomat’s 4-year-old half-brother, by Cutlass Reality, is one of two Harris Farms runners named to the $150,000 Cal Cup Sprint, along with the In Excess gelding Excess Temptation, also a candidate for the Mile, and the 3-year-old Smoke Glacken colt Red State.

Another Mile nominee is Cruisin Joe, a 4-year-old son of Breeders’ Cup Mile champion Steinlen. The Wild Rush filly Rush to Justice could go in either the $150,000 Matron or $150,000 Distaff. Never Ever and Proudest Moment also are Harris Farms possibilities for the Distaff.

Joining Spot the Diplomat as nominees to the Cal Cup Juvenile are No Mentira and Street Lights, two sons of High Brite, the Swiss Yodeler colt River Echo and Quick Meeting, a son of General Meeting.
Harris Farms has nominated two 2-year-old females to the $125,000 Juvenile Fillies—Peace by Peace and Theory.

Golden Eagle Farm has won 11 Cal Cup races, including the 1993 Classic with Best Pal, and Betty Mabee seeks to continue the legacy she built with her late husband John, with 11 nominees to the 2006 races.

Seven Nation Army, a 3-year-old by General Meeting, out of Swingtime Music, who won Del Mar’s Real Good Deal Stakes in August and is named to the Classic, heads the roster of Golden Eagle’s Cup nominees, which includes five sons or daughters of Event of the Year.

The Event of the Year offspring are Classic candidate First Rate Event; Crystal Event, who has been nominated to the Matron, Distaff and Distance; Yearly Attitude, a nominee to the Matron, Old Man River, a possibility for the Sprint, and Pair of Events, named to both the Distaff and Distance.

Plagiarist, a 3-year-old gelded son of Souvenir Copy, is Golden Eagle’s candidate for the Mile.

Martin and Pam Wygod’s River Edge Farm, the breeders of four Cal Cup champions, has 10 nominees this year, three of them stakes-winners.

Unfurl the Flag, winner of the grade I Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park in 2005, is the leader of the Wygods’ Cal Cup contingent. The 6-year-old gelding by Bertrando, out of Escape the Storm, is nominated to the Classic, Mile and Sprint, but most likely will contest the Mile.

Kresgeville (Bertrando-Seed Case), a 4-year-old filly whose resume includes a victory in Hollywood Park’s Manhattan Beach Handicap in 2005, could represent River Edge Farm in the Cal Cup Distaff. Zoning In (Bertrando-Miss Inn Zone), winner of Bay Meadows’ Malcolm Anderson Stakes, could go in the Juvenile, as could Leesider and Vice Admiral, two other 2-year-old sons of Bertrando.

Proposed (Benchmark-Quiet Romance), who won Hollywood Park’s grade II Milady Breeders’ Cup Handicap in July, was named to the Matron, Distaff and Distance, but since has been retired.

Respected, a 3-year-old Benchmark filly could represent River Edge Farm in the Matron or Distaff. Greatest Hope, a 4-year-old son of Benchmark, is a possibility for the Sprint, and 2-year-old Benchmark filly Beyond the Mark is named to the Juvenile Fillies.

Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC is looking for its first Cal Cup winner, but it has two stakes-winners among its nine nominees for this year.

Top This and That, a 4-year-old gelding by Old Topper, out of Emmy Ann, has chased Breeders’ Cup Classic contender Lava Man in stakes races on both dirt and turf this year. He is nominated to both the Cal Cup Classic and Mile, but will probably run in the Classic.

Silly Little Mama is named to the Distaff. The 3-year-old daughter of Old Topper-White Truffle won the Manhattan Beach Handicap at Hollywood Park in May. Honky Tonk Baby, a 3-year-old filly by Valid Wager, also could represent Tommy Town in the Cal Cup Distaff.

Old Topper, the farm’s top stallion, could be represented by Topper’s Quest in the Cal Cup Juvenile, or by Mizzy Topper and Sea Topper in the Juvenile Fillies. Non oh Mon, a daughter of Maria’s Mon, who sired 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos, also is nominated to the Juvenile Fillies.

Old English Rancho, breeders of six Cal Cup champions, has nominated eight runners this year. The most prominent among them is the 4-year-old filly Leave Me Alone, winner of the 2005 grade I Test Stakes at Saratoga. The daughter of the late Bold Badgett, out of Fabulous Ballet, is nominated to the Cal Cup Matron.

Two other stakes-winners bred by Old English Rancho could meet in the Distaff. They are the 5-year-old mare Allswellthatendswell (Perfect Mandate-A Lucky Happening) and the 3-year-old filly Mimi Guarneri (In Excess-She’s So Fabulous).

Both won added-money events at the 2006 Fairplex Park meet. Allswelltthatendswell won the E. B. Johnston Stakes, named for Old English’s founder, and Mimi Guarneri captured the CTBA Marian Stakes.

Proud ‘n Fabulous (Proud Irish-Proper ‘n Fabulous) could represent Old English in either the Classic or Mile. Sugar Doll is another candidate for the farm in the Distaff.

Old English has nominated three 2-year-olds to the Cal Cup Juvenile—Flying First Class, Kickin Back and Mystery Hunter.

–Larry Bortstein