Though the California-bred stakes showcase at Santa Anita Park Jan. 18 is absent an extensive list of major names, it isn't lacking major dollars. With purses for the stakes ranging from $150,000 to $200,000, a total of $900,000 is up for grabs among the five black-type contests on the nine-race card.
Co-richest with the Unusual Heat Turf Classic Stakes and the California Cup Oaks is the California Cup Derby, a $200,000 contest for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles that is carded as the seventh race. A stakes that helped launch California Chrome to stardom in 2014—he went on to win the San Felipe Stakes (G2), Santa Anita Derby (G1), and Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1)—Saturday's nine-horse renewal seems wide open, drawing horses stretching out in distance and others shifting surfaces.
One of the few entrants proven as a dirt router is Club Aspen, winner of the one-mile King Glorious Stakes at Los Alamitos Race Course Dec. 15. A son of Clubhouse Ride owned by Lawrence Lewis, he has won two of seven starts and $118,211.
Improved in his final two starts of 2019 for trainer Craig Lewis, during which he ran second in a Nov. 30 allowance optional claimer at Del Mar before the King Glorious, he will be ridden by regular jockey Jorge Velez.
Two previous starts at Santa Anita resulted in rear-half finishes for Club Aspen, though one was in open company on turf when sixth in the Oct. 6 Zuma Beach Stakes. He was seventh on dirt in the Nov. 1 Golden State Juvenile Stakes in one of the undercard races on Breeders' Cup Friday.
Other stakes winners in the field include Northern California invader Bettor Trip Nick, who won a pair of black-type races at Golden Gate Fields on Tapeta, and Big Returns, who was elevated to first in last summer's Graduation Stakes at Del Mar upon the disqualification of Square Deal.
The other $200,000 races Saturday at Santa Anita are both on the grass: the Unusual Heat Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles for older horses and the California Cup Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at a mile.
With a bankroll of over $1.47 million, Ashleyluvssugar has earned more than his seven Unusual Turf Classic opponents combined—though he has not won over his last 14 races since capturing the winning the Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T) as a 6-year-old in May 2017. He also won the Whittingham in 2015, which marked the second of his five graded stakes wins.
He won this race in 2017 when it was called the California Cup Turf Classic Stakes Presented by City National Bank. He was second last year under the race's current name.
A 9-year-old gelded son of Game Plan owned by Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stable, and Ciaglia Racing, Ashleyluvssugar makes his second start following a four-month layoff. He finished fifth in the Nov. 30 Berkeley Handicap (G3) on Tapeta at Golden Gate.
KMN Racing's Been Studying Her, a two-time stakes winner, is among the most promising entries in the California Cup Oaks. Yet to start on grass, she possesses turf blood in her pedigree, being by Fast Anna out of the stakes-placed Kitten's Joy mare Maddie's Odyssey, who won four races on grass. Two of Been Studying Her's half siblings are winners on turf, including multiple stakes winner Grecian Fire.
Mike Smith will ride for trainer Dan Ward.
Earlier stakes races at Santa Anita are topped by Just Grazed Me in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly And Mare Turf Sprint Stakes and 5-for-6 Baja Sur in the $150,000 California Cup Sprint Stakes.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 18, 2020, Race 3Entries: Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Just Grazed Me (CA)
Geovanni Franco
124
Philip D'Amato
6/5
2
2Into Rissa (CA)
Tiago Josue Pereira
120
Edwin Alvarez
50/1
3
3Stealthediamonds (CA)
Agapito Delgadillo
122
Mike Puype
5/2
4
4Show It N Moe It (CA)
Rafael Bejarano
124
Edwin Alvarez
9/2
5
5Apache Princess (CA)
Flavien Prat
124
J. Keith Desormeaux
3/1
6
6Lakerball (CA)
Abel Cedillo
122
Doug F. O'Neill
12/1
7
7Lippy (CA)
Mario Gutierrez
120
Doug F. O'Neill
20/1
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 18, 2020, Race 5Entries: California Cup Sprint S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Baja Sur (WA)
Juan J. Hernandez
124
Blaine D. Wright
5/2
2
2Fashionably Fast (CA)
Tiago Josue Pereira
124
Dean Pederson
9/5
3
3Oliver (CA)
Abel Cedillo
124
Doug F. O'Neill
4/1
4
4Heck Yeah (CA)
Flavien Prat
122
Bob Baffert
6/1
5
5Brandothebartender (CA)
UMBERTO RISPOLI
122
Craig Dollase
15/1
6
6Lieutenant Dan (CA)
Drayden Van Dyke
124
Steven Miyadi
7/2
7
7League of Shadows (CA)
Ruben Fuentes
122
Kerri Raven
30/1
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 18, 2020, Race 6Entries: Unusual Heat Turf Classic S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Ward 'n Jerry (CA)
UMBERTO RISPOLI
120
Mike Puype
5/2
2
2Cono (KY)
Mario Gutierrez
120
Michael W. McCarthy
15/1
3
3Accountability (CA)
Rafael Bejarano
120
Rafael Becerra
15/1
4
4The Hunted (CA)
Tiago Josue Pereira
124
Richard Baltas
9/5
5
5Wound Tight (CA)
Abel Cedillo
122
Robert B. Hess, Jr.
5/1
6
6Desmond Doss (CA)
Drayden Van Dyke
120
Philip D'Amato
8/1
7
7Mobou (CA)
Victor Espinoza
120
John A. Shirreffs
20/1
8
8Ashleyluvssugar (CA)
Flavien Prat
120
Peter Eurton
7/2
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 18, 2020, Race 7Entries: California Cup Derby
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Bettor Trip Nick (CA)
Catalino Martinez
124
William Delia
5/2
2
2Dapper (CA)
Geovanni Franco
124
Gary Stute
20/1
3
3Sacred Rider (CA)
Abel Cedillo
124
Steven Specht
12/1
4
4Summer Fire (CA)
Mike E. Smith
124
Robert B. Hess, Jr.
6/1
5
5Club Aspen (CA)
Jorge I. Velez
124
Craig Anthony Lewis
3/1
6
6Rookie Mistake (CA)
Mario Gutierrez
124
Doug F. O'Neill
8/1
7
7Indian Peak (CA)
Juan J. Hernandez
124
Quinn Howey
10/1
8
8Fast Enough (KY)
Tiago Josue Pereira
124
Rafael Becerra
6/1
9
9Big Returns (CA)
Ruben Fuentes
124
Doug F. O'Neill
5/1
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 18, 2020, Race 8Entries: California Cup Oaks
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Almost a Factor (CA)
Flavien Prat
124
Carla Gaines
6/1
2
2Wise Rachel (CA)
Juan J. Hernandez
124
Quinn Howey
10/1
3
3Bulletproof One (CA)
Ruben Fuentes
124
Peter Miller
8/1
4
4Been Studying Her (CA)
Mike E. Smith
124
Dan Ward
4/1
5
5Warren's Showtime (CA)
Jorge I. Velez
124
Craig Anthony Lewis
3/1
6
6Smokin Hot Bobbie (CA)
Rafael Bejarano
124
Reina E. Gonzalez
20/1
7
7Midnight Sunrise (CA)
Geovanni Franco
124
Andy Mathis
20/1
8
8Homehome (CA)
Mario Gutierrez
124
Doug F. O'Neill
15/1
9
9Smiling Shirlee (CA)
UMBERTO RISPOLI
124
Jeff Bonde
10/1
10
10Cholula Lips (CA)
Tyler Baze
124
Mike Harrington
6/1
11
11California Kook (CA)
Drayden Van Dyke
124
Peter Miller
10/1
12
12Warrior's Moon (CA)
Abel Cedillo
124
Peter Eurton
6/1