California Spangle Wins HK Classic Cup, on for HK Derby

If a new superstar is to emerge from this year's BMW Hong Kong Derby series, which would be no surprise given the history, it will not be as a result of a sweep of the three races.

California Spangle saw to that Feb. 27 at Sha Tin Racecourse, scoring an all-out, front-running victory in the Hong Kong Classic Cup with the previously undefeated winner of the first leg, Romantic Warrior, only getting home fourth.

Turin Redsun (GB) rallied from far back in the field of 14 4-year-olds to finish second with progressive long shot Money Catcher third after pressing California Spangle's easy early pace.

The issue remains to be settled March 20 in the Derby, the final race in the Four-Year-Old Classic Series and a prime target for local horsemen. The Derby is run at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles), following the 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) of the Classic Cup and the first leg, the Hong Kong Classic Mile.

California Spangle had things all his way in the Cup, breaking cleanly from the No. 6 gate to take the lead. Romantic Warrior, starting from the No. 13 stall under Karis Teetan, never caught a break. Stuck on the outside of the field, Teetan repeatedly looked back over his right shoulder, hoping for a chance to cross toward the inside -- a chance that never came.

As California Spangle rolled steadily along, Romantic Warrior remained on the overland route. Straightened away for the final 200 meters, he made up some ground but only after the outcome was clear.

A son of Starspangledbanner , California Spangle scored his fourth win from six starts this season for trainer Tony Cruz. He was second in the other two, including the Classic Mile, in which he led most of the way before being flagged down by Romantic Warrior, losing by 1/2 length.

The question now for Cruz and Purton is whether the bay gelding can go much farther, especially if he's pressured early. He ran the final 400 meters of the Cup in :23.66 seconds, just the fifth-fastest of the 14.

"Of course I was worried the last 200 meters (of the Cup)," Purton said. "He was out on his feet and it was a good effort. Two thousand meters looks as though it's really going to stretch him."

Although his sire was a champion sprinter, California Spangle has staying genes on the bottom of his pedigree from his damsire, High Chaparral , winner of the Vodafone Derby (G1) at Epsom in 2002 and the John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Arlington Park later that year and at Santa Anita in 2003—the latter in a dead heat with Johar.

"I'm sure he's got that sort of pedigree in him and I believe he will get the distance," said Cruz, who won the BMW Hong Kong Derby four times as a jockey and twice as a trainer.

"I believe he will wait in front and I believe he will run out the distance," Cruz said. "The plan from day one was that this horse, even though he's a real sprinter, was to wait for the straight, wait for the opposition to come and then you make a move. He was under control for the whole race."

Asked specifically if California Spangle can get the 2,000-meter Derby distance March 20, Cruz said with a grin, "It's possible."

The Four-Year-Old Classic Series has an enviable history of turning up future starts in Hong Kong with the latest example being Golden Sixty, who swept the three races en route to building a 16-race winning streak that was snapped just earlier this year.