California Flag defends Morvich title

Hi Card Ranch's homebred CALIFORNIA FLAG (Avenue of Flags) entered

Wednesday's $100,000

Morvich

H. (G3) at Santa Anita looking for a second straight win in the about 6

1/2-furlong opening-day Oak Tree feature on the firm downhill turf, but the

Brian Koriner trainee had just one other race to his record for 2009. That

didn't stop the six-year-old gelding from rushing up to take the lead, and he guided

the field home through splits of :21 2/5, :43 and 1:05 1/5 under jockey Joseph

Talamo. He easily withstood the late run of Get Funky (Straight Man) to cross

under the line one length in front, tripping the clock for a final time of

1:11.40.

Sent off the 8-5 favorite, California Flag paid $5.20, $3.40 and $2.80 while

keying the $1 exotics worth $24.40 (exacta), $175.20 (trifecta) and $974.20

(3-10-9-5 superfecta). Get Funky tracked in fourth on the outside before putting

in his game move, giving back $8.40 and $5 at 10-1 while holding second by 1 3/4

lengths. Bruce's Dream (Atticus) came running late from the rear to take down

third by a neck, returning $4.40 as the 6-1 second pick. Tiz West (Gone West)

edged out Tenga Cat (Storm Cat) by a nose for fourth, and the pair were followed

under the line by Stoneside (Ire) (Marchand de Sable), Desert Code (E Dubai),

Cherokee Heaven (Cherokee Run), Perfect Officer (Officer) and Flashmans Papers

(GB) (Exceed and Excel).

California Flag earned his first stakes win in last year's Morvich, scoring

in a course record time of 1:11.10 for about 6 1/2 furlongs. He was thrown in

the deep end when entered in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, leading during the

latter part of the race before fading badly to finish 10th, and returned to a

much more congenial spot in the Hollywood Turf Express H. (G3) on November 29 to

conclude his four-year-old campaign with an easy 4 1/2-length victory. The gray

didn't make his 2009 bow until recording a neck score in the Green Flash H. on

August 19 prior to this one, and now boasts a 15-7-0-1 career mark to go along

with $412,996  in lifetime earnings.

California Flag is out of Ultrafleet (Afleet), making him a full brother to

multiple Grade 3 heroine Cambiocorsa (Avenue of Flags) and a half-sibling to the

Grade 3-placed Shadow Raider (Memo [Chi]). Ultrafleet also has an unraced

juvenile filly named Platinum Mine (Memo [Chi]), a yearling colt named Vader

(Vindication) and a 2009 filly called Cosmopolitan (Harlan's Holiday).