Bejarano rules on Cal Cup Day

by Jennifer Caldwell

Rafael Bejarano cleaned up on California Cup Day at Santa Anita, taking four

of the five stakes and a total of five races on the Saturday card, including the featured $175,000

Cal Cup

Classic under 3-2 favorite Norvsky.

Trained by Donald Warren, the bay gelding split rivals rounding the second

turn of the 1 1/8-mile turf contest and rallied in the stretch to just get his

neck down on the wire. Lucky Primo was denied the win, but managed to stick his

nose in front of Holladay Road to secure second as Norvsky stopped the clock in

1:46 4/5 on the firm turf.

"In the beginning the pace was a little slow so I decided to get in closer,"

Bejarano explained his strategy. "I didn't want to stay too far back if they

were going too slow. When I found my position I got some room in the stretch and

just let him go.

Norvsky entered the Cal Cup Classic, which was run on grass for the first

time, off a pair of close seconds in the Ralph M. Hinds Handicap and Harry F.

Brubaker Stakes. Prior to those, the five-year-old son of Vronsky earned his

first stakes win in the California Dreamin' Handicap in late July. Fourth in the

Grade 2 Arcadia and runner-up in the Golden State Cup Stakes this season as

well, Norvsky now owns a 16-5-7-3 mark and has banked $392,844 for owners Bud

and Judy Johnston and Robert Riggio.

Warren was obviously pleased with his charge's win, but perhaps a bit more so

than normal considering fellow trainee and multiple Grade 1 winner Acclamation

has been forced to the sidelines, and out of the Breeders' Cup, due to a leg

injury.

"It's great to have the 'B' team win for us," he said. "The horse is a deep

closer but I just told Rafael not to drop 15 lengths out of it like he sometimes

does. Every little bit helps in a race like this."

Asked what might be next, Warren answered, "Probably something at Hollywood

Park and we'll look at the Sunshine Millions here in January."

"My agent and I have been working hard. I have to give him a lot of credit,"

Bejarano acknowledged following his brilliant day. "He's been working really

hard every morning and trying to pick the right horses for each race. I'm very

happy, and I want to say thanks to all the trainers. They give me the

opportunity and keep trusting me, so I try to do my best with all my horses.

"Today I followed the speed and made one big run," he added of Unzip Me. "She

has improved a lot and she's getting better. I think she will only keep getting

better and better."

Unzip Me is a specialist on the downhill turf at Santa Anita, now boastings

six wins and a second from nine starts. Her only two unplaced finishes came in

the 2009 edition of this race, when she was fifth, and the Grade 3 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes,

where she was fourth by just one length last out. The City Zip mare has won four Grade 3s during her career

and a total of eight stakes while placing in three others, including last year's

Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs in only her second foray outside of

California.

"She really ran her race today. She's just an amazing horse," Jones said.

"(Bejarano) rode her great today and she was nice and settled. He got her into a

nice comfortable spot in a big field with some speed. She's gotten where she

doesn't need the lead."

In the only Cal Cup race that Bejarano didn't win -- for the very simple fact

that his mount Cost of Freedom was scratched -- jockey Joel Rosario allowed

Courtside to take the lead in the $100,000

Cal Cup

Sprint and the pair never looked back en route to a 2 1/4-length win.

Trainer John Sadler saddled the C R K Stable colorbearer in the six-furlong

dash, which saw a final time of 1:07 4/5 on the fast main track.

"He likes to run on the lead like that, and at six furlongs that is the way

to do it," Rosario said. "I just let him get away and hoped that he would hold

on. To me it looks like he can hold on perfect at six furlongs. He ran very good

today."

Bob Black Jack and M One Rifle were the big stories in the race, with the former

making his first start since a win in the 2010 Grade 2 San Carlos Handicap and

the latter entering off a seventh in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap on July 2.

Bob Black Jack did the best, taking second by a half-length over M One Rifle.

The stakes action on Cal Cup Day got underway in the 3RD race when

Cory Wagner's Starlight Magic pulled away to a 1 3/4-length victory in

the $100,000

Cal Cup Juvenile Fillies under Bejarano. The Mark Glatt pupil was sent off the favorite in the 1 1/16-mile contest and

ran as such to finish 1 1/16 miles on the main track in 1:43 2/5.

Starlight Magic stalked the early pace while running just off the

rail, then came three deep into the lane and overhauled eventual

runner-up Willa B Awesome. This score pushed the Marino Marini filly's earnings to $96,780 and she boasts a 4-2-0-0 mark.

"After we found a position around the first turn she was just

cruising," Bejarano said. "When we turned into the stretch, she was

kinda playing around a little bit. She's a free-running filly with a

long stride and a good kick. She's improving with every race and she'll

go further."

Bejarano continued his winning ways next out when guiding Mr. and

Mrs. Larry D. Williams' Rousing Sermon (Lucky Pulpit) to a 2 1/4-length

score in the $100,000

Cal

Cup Juvenile for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. The chestnut colt

covered 8 1/2 furlongs in 1:43 2/5 to earn his first stakes victory.

"I've been working him at Hollywood Park to get him ready for this

race," Bejarano said. "He's been getting better and better every work,

and the last work he did really good. I knew he was going to be tough in

this race. When I saw the number three (Motown Men) was hanging out a

little bit in the stretch I got my opportunity to get clear and my horse

showed me a big kick."

Rousing Sermon captured his maiden debut in early June before getting

a month off and returning to place third in the Graduation Stakes and

I'm Smokin Stakes. This one improved his career record to 4-2-0-2,

$114,000.

"A little concerned about being caught down on the inside but Rafael

got the colt out just in time and made a nice run," Hollendorfer said.

"He ran it perfectly off the pace and wasn't scared of horses down

inside. You couldn't ask him to run any better.