Cal Cup X: A Full Celebration of California Excellence
As the marquee event of the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita, Cal Cup X provided a full crowd of over 31,000 with a true "Taste of California". From the distinguished Directors Room to the jam packed apron all the way through the tunnel leading to the extremely well put together party in the infield, racing fans of all walks of life were treated to a tremendous display of California-bred racing.
The featured $250,000 Wells Fargo Cal Cup Classic highlighted the 10-race card worth a whopping $1,275,000. With last year's champion Budroyale opting to run in the Breeders' Cup Classic next Saturday, this year's contest provided last year's runner-up Bagshot an excellent opportunity for redemption.
Bagshot and jockey Chris Antley stalked
Lesters Boy through a half-mile in :47 3/5 before grabbing the lead rounding the turn for
home and drawing clear in the stretch for a 2 ½-length victory over the favored Bob
Baffert trainee Del Mar Gray with Smoky Cinder completing the order of finish. Bagshot
completed the 1 1/8-mile race in 1:48 3/5 over a fast track.
The five-year-old homebred by Smokester capped a Cal Cup double for owners John Toffan and Trudy McCaffery and trainer Paco Gonzalez.
"Gonzalez told me to ride him aggressively and that that's what I did. I know they put blinkers on him today. But whatever it was it worked," Antley said.
Three races earlier those same connections took the $125,000 Cal Cup Juvenile with Spacelink.
Juan Garcia was another trainer who
experienced stakes victories in multiple races. He continued the trend of taking
former claimers to stakes victories with
Chichim, who he claimed for $20,000 earlier in the year, by taking the $150,000 Distaff.
Chichim, a four-year-old filly by Chimineas, paid $20 to win under Garrett Gomez. Later,
Garcia took the $175,000 Mile with the favored Native Desert (pictured to right). The
six-year-old gelded son of Desert Classic was claimed by Garcia for $32,000 in 1996 for
owner Miguel Rubio. Also ridden by Garrett Gomez, Native Desert pushed his career earnings
to over $918,000.
One of the most impressive performances of the
day came in the Juvenile Fillies by Cover Gal (pictured to left). The undefeated 1998 Del
Mar Sale graduate improved her record to a perfect four for four by setting all the
fractions and cruising home under wraps for a two and a half length victory. Trained by
Lance Stokes for her owner Bill Peeples, the daughter of Falstaff covered the 1 1/16 in
1:45 under Gary Stevens.
In the sprint Love That Red (pictured
right) took advantage of torrid early fractions flying from off the pace taking the Sprint
in racehorse time of 1:08 2/5. Jockey Garrett Gomez carded three victories on the day
including piloting this fast three-year-old by Highland Park to victory for his owner
Terry Wells.
In one of the best races of the day, after being overtaken at the top of the stretch Feverish fought back just before the wire to clip Supercilious by a neck in the $150,000 Matron. Trained by Dan Hendricks for owners Mr. and Mrs. Marty Wygod. The four-year-old daughter of Pirate's Bounty covered the 1 1/16 in 1:43 under Eddie Delahossaye.