Cal Cup

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

$150,000 Dodge Ram Mega Cab/Donald Valpredo Cal Cup Sprint
DA STOOPS

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 28, 2006) – Odds-on favorite and Del Mar Yearling Sales graduate Da Stoops put away Bonfante at the head of the stretch and won Saturday’s $150,000 Dodge Ram Mega Cab/Donald Valpredo California Cup Sprint at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.

Da Stoops, the lone 3-year-old in the field, is by Distorted Humor, out of the Kingdom of Spain mare Glamorous Lady, was bred by Malibu Valley Farms and is owned by Watson or Weitman Performance. The Del Mar Yearling Sale graduate has five wins in 15 starts and earnings of $625,906.

He was trained by Bob Baffert, who scored his first Cal Cup win since 1997, and ridden by Victor Espinoza, who earlier won the Cal Cup Matron aboard Somethinaboutlaura.

Da Stoops ran the six furlongs in 1:08.66, faster than his clocking in this year’s Sunshine Millions Dash, and won by two lengths at odds of 1-2. Grade I winner Debonair Joe, claimed for $25,000 three races back, edged Bonfante for second.

The race was decimated by defections. Bordonaro, Thor’s Echo and Areyoutalkintome opted for the Breeders’ Cup, while scratches claimed Bro Lo and Slew’s Prince to reduce the field to five starters.