Cal Cup

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

$250,000 Cal Cup Classic Presented by Smith Barney
TEXCESS

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 28, 2006) – Millionaire Texcess ended a 22-month drought with a half-length victory in Saturday’s $250,000 California Cup Classic, presented by Smith Barney at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.

Texcess is a 4-year-old gelding by In Excess, out of the Regal Classic mare Danish Alamode, was bred by Ron Gomez and is owned by Anastasi or Anastasi or Van Berger. The $85,000 and $300,000 Barretts purchase has four wins in 21 starts with earnings of $1,235,355. One of his earlier victories was the 2004 Cal Cup Juvenile.

This was the first win for Texcess since the Delta Jackpot in December, 2004 and first career win at the 1 1/8 mile distance. He was fourth in this race last year. Cheroot, third in that edition, was second Saturday, with Iced Out third.

Texcess, who went off at odds of 7-2, ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.38. He was trained by Mike Mitchell and ridden by Victor Espinoza, who earlier won the Cal Cup Sprint on Da Stoops and the Cal Cup Matron aboard Somethinaboutlaura.

“I had a really good trip off the pace,” said Espinoza. “I didn’t want him getting stuck. He likes to run outside. Everything worked perfectly. It was time for him to win a race. I started riding from the half-mile pole. You have to ride him aggressively.”