The Chief reigns in Cal Cup Classic

Hall, Langbein Trust and Robinson et al's BOLD CHIEFTAIN (Chief Seattle) was

part of a mad rush to the wire in Oak Tree's $250,000

California Cup Classic, prevailing by a half-length and giving jockey

Russell Baze his second of two wins on the California Cup XVIII program on

Saturday. Sent off the third pick at nearly 6-1, the four-year-old gave back

$13.80, $5.40 and $4.20 to his faithful followers in the showcase event on a day

of state-bred stakes action.

Cheroot (Smokester), second in last year's Cal Cup Classic, tried to lead all

the way home this time once again, setting splits of :22 4/5, :46 and 1:09 4/5

while closely attended by 8-5 favorite Lava Man (Slew City Slew). The multiple

Grade 1-winning star took over from the pacesetter entering the stretch, but couldn't

hold off the cavalry charge from many of his rivals. Bold Chieftain was

going best of all and finished 1 1/8 miles on Santa Anita's Cushion Track in

1:47 1/5.

Celtic Dreamin (Game Plan) was three parts of a length up on Seminole Native

(Lil Tyler) in second, returning $3.60 and $3.20 as the 2-1 second choice. Show

was worth $11.20 as the 32-1 second longest shot, and the $1 exotics paid $23.30

(exacta), $306.20 (trifecta) and $2,558.70 (11-4-8-9 superfecta). A Gallant Discover

(Discover) just missed third by a head and was followed under the line by Add

Heat (Unusual Heat), Lava Man, Cheroot, Tiz Afire (Cee's Tizzy), Rush With

Thunder (Tribal Rule) and Valiant Effort (Bertrando). Freesgood (Free House),

winner of last year's California Cup Juvenile, was scratched.

Lava Man's trainer, Doug O'Neill, stated that his veteran would get some time

off now.

"He definitely will be sent to the farm," O'Neill said. "He'll probably go

within a week. We'll do all the proper diagnostics to make sure while he's off

we're doing what we should. We'll let him wind down, gradually work him off the

grain and then send him out to I'm not sure which farm yet."

Trained by Bill Morey Jr., Bold Chieftain now owns four stakes wins,

including the California Dreamin' H. and Alamedan H. from this season, and three

black-type placings. He improved his mark to 13-7-2-2 and has earned $465,775

with Saturday's score. The California-bred is inbred 3 x 3 to the outstanding

mare My Charmer (Poker). She appears in his pedigree courtesy of Seattle Slew

and Seattle Dancer, Bold Chieftain's paternal grandsire and broodmare sire,

respectively.

Earlier on the program, Barry, David and Dyan Abrams' UNUSUAL SUSPECT (Unusual Heat) burst through the pack in the center of the

track during midstretch to defeat a game Epic Power (Epic Honor) to take the $175,000

California Cup Mile H. by 1 3/4 lengths under Joe Talamo. Fourth in the

Del Mar Derby (G2) and Oak Tree Derby (G2), and winner of the Bay Meadows Derby,

the Barry Abrams-trained sophomore stopped the clock in 1:33 4/5 over the firm

turf to move his line to 18-5-3-2 and increase his earnings to $379,136.

Senji Nishimura's ROMANCE IS DIANE (In Excess [Ire]) was no stranger to Cal

Cup Day after taking the California Cup Juvenile Fillies S. last October, but

she hadn't visited the winner's circle since the Hollywood Starlet S. (G1) in

December. The Mike Mitchell charge reappeared in the golden spot

on Saturday after a front-running, 6 1/4-length score in the $150,000

California Cup Matron

H. With Michael Baze in the pilot's spot, the dark bay lass ran 1 1/16 miles in

1:40 1/5 to set a new Cushion Track record, pushing her mark to 10-4-1-1 with

$507,660 in earnings in the process.

Curt and Lila Lanning's GENTLE CHARMER (Bertrando) improved her career mark

to 29-7-6-6 when adding a first stakes win in the $150,000

California Cup

Distaff H. The Ed Moger Jr. trainee was 1 3/4 lengths clear on the line as the

54-1 co-longest shot on the board, finishing about 6 1/2 furlongs on the

downhill turf in 1:12 1/5 with Kyle Kaenel aboard. The five-year-old mare

already owned four stakes placings, including the Solana Beach H. at Del Mar in

late August, and increased her earnings to $344,313.

Edward King's Triple Bend H. (G1) hero BILO (Bertrando) refused to give up at

the wire of the $150,000

California Cup Sprint, digging in to get the

half-length score while giving Talamo his first win on the day. Trained by

Martin Jones, the seven-year-old gelding sprinted six furlongs in 1:07 4/5 to

earn his second black-type victory. Bilo is now 15-7-2-2 lifetime and has earned

$524,036.

Lebherz et al's SIERRA SUNSET (Bertrando) earned his second straight stakes

win with a 1 1/2-length victory in the $125,000

California Cup Juvenile S.,

entering this 1 1/16-mile test off a dominant eight-length score in the Bay

Meadows Juvenile S. Posting a time of 1:41 3/5 under Russell Baze, the Jeff Bonde-trained bay now shows a 7-3-2-1, $169,696, record. Michael Bello and Mr. &

Mrs. Larry D. Williams' RUNFORTHEMONEY (Unusual Heat) ran to her form when

dominating her rivals in the $125,000

California Cup Juvenile Fillies with Tyler

Baze holding the reins. Coming off a close third in the Oak Leaf S. (G1), the

Jeff Mullins charge saved ground early before coming out three wide in the

stretch and pulling off to complete 8 1/2 furlongs in 1:42 while 5 1/2 lengths

clear. Runforthemoney broke her maiden at Del Mar and nearly doubled her

earnings to $160,144 and improved her mark to 5-2-1-2.

John Spohler and Martin J. Wygod's homebred IMAGINE (Giant's Causeway) was

making a drop in company in the $100,000

California Cup Distance H. after

running fifth in the Yellow Ribbon S. (G1) and immediately returned to the

winner's circle with a three-quarter of a length victory under Corey Nakatani.

The John Shirreffs-trained four-year-old drifted out a bit in the stretch drive,

but held to finish 1 1/4 grassy miles in 2:01 4/5. Imagine earned her first

stakes in the C.T.T. & Thoroughbred Owners of California H. at Del Mar in late

August, and now boasts a 9-5-2-0, $267,059, record.

Arbitrage Stable's SWITZERLAND (Swiss Yodeler) began Cal Cup Day with a 2

1/4-length score in the $50,800

California Cup Starter Sprint H. Ridden by

Michael Baze and trained by Michael Machowsky, the bay gelding ran six furlongs

in 1:07 1/5 to run his line to 27-8-5-4, $172,610. Next up, Allen, Lindo,

Meguiar et al's LIL MITCH (Lil Tyler) rallied down the middle of

the track to post a 2 1/2-length win with Richard Migliore in the $51,200

California Cup Starter H. The Bill Spawr-conditioned four-year-old gelding

stopped the clock for 1 1/2 miles on the green in 2:28, and now shows $152,382

in lifetime earnings to go along with a 28-3-4-2 mark.