Cal-bred News

Cal Cup XVIII a Tribute to ‘King Edward’

ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov. 3, 2007) – In a posthumous tribute to breeder and owner Ed Nahem, who died Wednesday, three progeny of his racing and breeding star Bertrando captured consecutive stakes races Saturday at California Cup XVIII at Oak Tree at Santa Anita, where the on-track attendance of 25,763 was the largest for Cal Cup since 2002.

Bertrando progeny Gentle Charmer won the $150,000 Distaff, Northern California Yearling Sale graduate Sierra Sunset won the $125,000 Bob Benoit Juvenile and Grade I winner Bilo won the $150,000 Dodge Ram/Donald Valpredo Sprint.

Bilo was bred and raced by Nahem and his King Edward stable. Gentle Charmer and Sierra Sunset were bred by Marty and Pam Wygod. Marty Wygod also was the co-breeder with John Spohler of Imagine, winner of the $100,000 TVG Distance, and has been a part owner of horses that have won seven Cal Cup races.

Bertrando stands at the Wygods’ River Edge Farm, where Gentle Charmer, Sierra Sunset, Bilo and Imagine all were foaled.

“He (Joe Talamo) rode the horse (Bilo) just like Eddie would have told him to ride,” trainer Marty Jones said, referring to Nahem. “I have lots of fond memories of Eddie. It’s been a very emotional couple of days, with Eddie passing away. He was very good to me and a good friend. I know wherever he is, he singled his horse in the Pick Six.”

In the feature race on the card, the $250,000 Cal Cup Classic, presented by Smith Barney, longshot Bold Chieftain held off Celtic Dreamin while California champion Lava Man, who led turning for home, faded to finish sixth. It was the third consecutive off-the-board finish for Lava Man, who had never been worse than second in seven previous races at Santa Anita.

The Nahem-Bertrando-Wygod connection wasn’t the only one that clicked Saturday. Unusual Heat sired a pair of winners on the card: $175,000 John C. Mabee champion Unusual Suspect and $125,000 Robert H. Walter Juvenile Fillies winner Runforthemoneybaby.

And Bilo wasn’t the only Grade I winner who enjoyed a return to Cal-bred company. Romance Is Diane ran the fastest 1 1/16 mile of the meeting taking the $150,000 TOC/CTT Matron, one year after winning the Juvenile Fillies. She had the largest winning margin of the day at 6 ¼ lengths and gave her sire, In Excess, progeny wins in seven Cal Cup races all-time, breaking a tie with Pirate’s Bounty.

Joe Talamo, Michael Baze and Russell Baze won a pair of races each, but the impressive victory by Corey Nakatani aboard Imagine gave him the Cal Cup jockey lead with 17 career wins, breaking a tie with Alex Solis.

Spreading the success around the Baze family name, Tyler Baze won the Juvenile Fillies aboard Runforthemoneybaby and Kyle Kaenel, son-in-law to Russell Baze, won the Distaff aboard Gentle Charmer. She went off the second-longest shot in the Distaff field at 54-1, leading to a $110 win payoff for a $2 bet, highest in Cal Cup history, and a carryover of the guaranteed $1 million Pick Six.

Three of the winners – Gentle Charmer, Sierra Sunset and Bold Chieftain – are based on Northern California.