Big Fish Rallies to Cal Cup Derby Score

Patiently handled by Juan Hernandez, Legacy Ranch's Big Fish reeled them in late to take the $200,000 California Cup Derby by 1 1/2 lengths Jan. 16 at Santa Anita Park. Trained by David Hofmans, the Mr. Big  gelding got 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.37 on the fast main track.

The California Cup Derby was one of five stakes races for California-bred or -sired horses at Santa Anita Saturday, all part of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association's Golden State Series.

"I thought he preferred the turf, but since he was a Cal-bred we thought we'd take advantage of that," Hofmans said. "He breezed well over (the dirt) the other day with Juan and seemed to get over it well. He's just maturing. This horse is just now coming into himself. I think we have a better future going forward."

A joint sixth, about four lengths off the lead going into the far turn, Hernandez bided his time and angled outside three sixteenths from home, and Big Fish unleashed a powerful stretch kick to run down None Above the Law in the final sixteenth. None Above the Law finished second four lengths better than pacesetter Good With People, who set fractions of :23.26, 47.50, 1:12.43, and 1:39.38.

Fourth in the Dec. 27 one-mile Eddie Logan Stakes on Santa Anita's turf, the 3-year-old out of the Into Mischief  mare Perched had been on turf and faced open company in his last four races, with both of his wins coming on the grass.

Ridden for the first time by Hernandez, he was also fitted with blinkers, after having not run in them in his last two starts. He paid $10 on a $2 win wager with 4-1 odds in the field of eight.

Big Fish won his first stakes Sept. 7 in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes at a mile and now has added money victories on both surfaces. Overall, he has a 3-1-1 record from eight starts with earnings of $229,018. He was bred by George Krikorian and consigned by Harris Farms to the 2019 CTBA Northern California Yearling Sale, where Legacy Ranch purchased him for $45,000.

Closing Remarks Bounces Back

With a nightmarish trip in her last start behind her, Harris Farms' homebred Closing Remarks powered to an impressive one-length win in the $201,000 Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks. One of three fillies in the field trained by Carla Gaines, Closing Remarks was ridden by Umberto Rispoli and covered one mile on turf in 1:35.62.

"We had quite a bit of confidence, just hoping she would get a cleaner trip this time, and that worked out well," Gaines said.

"This is one of the best cards on Cal Cup Day we've seen in a long, long time," she added. "We keep expressing to the management and the racing office how important the Cal-breds are here, and this is a great indication."

Fourth about two lengths off of longshot leader Super Game at the top of the stretch, Closing Remarks wheeled three-wide and was free-running to the wire as she easily held off the late run of Warrens Candy Girl. Far back early, Warrens Candy Girl closed well to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths over Super Game, who clicked off fractions of :22.60, 46.96, 1:11.15, and 1:23.56.

Last time out in the Nov. 28 Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T) a mile on Del Mar's turf, the 3-year-old Vronsky  filly was full of run with nowhere to go turning for home and finished 10th. Saturday, in her fourth career start, she was off as the 5-2 second choice in a field of 10 and paid $7.80.

"It was nice to have a clean trip today," Rispoli said. "My trip today was fantastic. … The speed was on, and she was happy where she was. I was traveling and waiting for the stretch because I felt that they went pretty fast in the front. I knew she was ready, and who the target was this race. Carla does an amazing job, and fortunately we didn't get stopped today."

Out of the Unusual Heat mare Orange Cove, Closing Remarks notched her first stakes win and her second win from four overall starts.  She increased her earnings to $149,500.

North County Guy Digs Deep

Content to sit well off the early pace, Nancy Messineo and Bruce Sands' North County Guy wheeled four-wide at the top of the stretch en route to a hard-earned neck victory in the $201,500 Unusual Heat Turf Classic Stakes Presented by City National Bank. Trained by Richard Baltas and ridden by Mario Gutierrez, North County Guy, a 6-year-old gelding by The Pampelmousse, got 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:46.34.

"He was training really good and obviously we had to put the money up to make him eligible," Baltas said. "He's been running against open but we saw the $200,000 mile and an eighth, which is his distance, so we did it.

"He's at San Luis Rey, he has the outside den, and has a goat. If he doesn't have the goat and he's not outside he runs the stall so it's kind of funny, he comes up here in the van with the goat. We just try to keep him happy."

With 75-1 longshot Cono winging on an uncontested early lead through fractions of :22.31, :44.76, 1:09.18, and 1:34.36, North County Guy was a distant fifth, about 20 lengths off the lead with a half-mile to run. As Cono stopped mid-way around the far turn, the entire field moved into contention, with North County Guy about three lengths off the lead at the top of the lane.

With favored Acclimate and Tyler Baze hitting the front at the quarter pole, North County Guy had about two lengths to make up with a furlong to run and he was equal to the challenge and then held off the late charge of longshot Heck Yeah, who rallied to miss the winner. Acclimate finished third.

A second condition allowance winner at the same distance two starts back Oct. 9, North County Guy was well beaten in the Nov. 27 Hollywood Turf Cup (G2T) at 1 1/2 miles. He was 4-1 in a field of 11 Saturday and paid $10.40.

"It was a perfect trip. When that other horse took off I settled in a very nice position, and he settled really well," Gutierrez said. "I never really had to push him, I was letting him run free and comfortable.

"I had a lot of horses to beat so I didn't want to wait too long. When it was time to go, I let him go a bit wide, and when I asked him, he responded really well."

North County Guy was bred by Edward Allred out of the Unusual Heat mare Warmth, and is the first black-type winner for his sire. He was claimed by his current connections in August 2018 for $20,000. The Unusual Heat Turf Classic marked his first stakes win and improved his overall mark to 6-7-5 from 28 starts with earnings of $366,647.

Brickyard Ride All the Way

Quick from the blocks and completely dominant thereafter, Alfred Pais' homebred Brickyard Ride made every pole a winning one as he registered an impressive 3 1/4-length win in the $153,000 Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita. Trained by Craig Lewis and ridden by Alexis Centeno, the 4-year-old chestnut colt by red hot California stallion Clubhouse Ride got six furlongs in a rapid 1:09.42.

With a two-length advantage at the quarter pole over stablemate Club Aspen, Brickyard Ride widened late and easily prevailed late over favorite Tigre Di Slugo.

"I felt pretty good about it because I thought we had them double teamed, we knew we were going to try to speed away with 'Brickyard' because he's got wicked speed," said Lewis, who also trained his sire, Clubhouse Ride. "We've learned now that he just watches (when running head and head), so we don't try to take him back, we just let him roll."

Well beaten in an open classified allowance going five furlongs Dec. 12 at Los Alamitos Race Course, Brickyard Ride was off at 9-2 in a field of 11 older horses in his first stakes assignment, and paid $11.80 to win. He set fractions of :21.63, :44.35, and :56.50.

"I believed in my horse and just went to the lead and (didn't) look back, just go," said Centeno, an apprentice who recorded his first stakes victory and has now won three out of his four engagements with Brickyard Ride. "I love this horse."

Out of the Southern Image mare Brickyard Helen, Brickyard Ride improved his overall mark to 6-0-2 from 12 starts. He boosted his earnings to $260,277.

Tigre Di Slugo, who had to wait for racing room around the turn, finished well at the rail to be second by a nose over highly accomplished Fashionably Fast. 

Fractions on the race were 21.63, 44.35 and 56.50.

Leggs Galore Best All the Way

Never headed at any point, William Sims' homebred Leggs Galore sped to an emphatic 3 1/4-length win in the $152,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint Stakes Presented by John Deere. Ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, Leggs Galore got six furlongs out of Santa Anita's new turf chute in 1:08.90 while collecting her fourth consecutive win.

Leggs Galore went right to the lead, enjoyed a one-length advantage three furlongs from home, and easily repelled a challenge mid-way around the turn from Mo See Cal to register her first stakes victory. Fractions on the firm turf were :22.84, :45.09, and :56.84.

"I knew it was going to be hard for them to beat her," said Gonzalez. "She was doing it so easily, and running so relaxed. She had a lot left in the tank. … The trip went exactly how it was planned, and it couldn't have gone any better. She loved it."

The 4-year-old daughter of Bayern  out of the Indian Charlie mare Cashing Tickets paid $7.60 as the 5-2 second choice. She had been idle since taking a first condition allowance in open company Oct. 10 at Santa Anita.

"She runs very well fresh and she'd been training as good as she can possibly train, so I was expecting a big performance, but that was pretty impressive today," said trainer Phil D'Amato. "I think being able to steadily develop her and the turf has moved her up here. … Jack Sims has been really good with that and I think that helped with the success today."

Leggs Galore has four wins from six starts and earnings of $202,208. She is the third winner from three foals to race out of Cashing Tickets, who has a yearling Into Mischief  filly and is reportedly due to Good Magic . 

Far back early, Nardini and Warren's Showtime, the respective second- and third-place finishers, closed well but never threatened the winner.

Video: Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint S. Presented by John Deere (BT)

Video: Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks (BT)

Video: California Cup Derby (BT)

Video: Unusual Heat Turf Classic S. Presented by City National Bank (BT)

Video: Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint S. (BT)