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Acceptance following California Chrome's path in Cal Cup
Derby
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| Acceptance moved his record to an unbeaten three-for-three when taking the King Glorious
(Benoit Photos) |
Acceptance (Vronsky) puts his perfect mark on the line Saturday when lining
up against seven rivals in the $250,000
California Cup Derby, one of five stakes restricted to California-bred or
sired runners on Santa Anita's California Cup Day program.
The dark bay colt broke his maiden by 13 lengths at Santa Anita last October,
took his stakes debut a month later in the Golden State Juvenile and closed out
his two-year-old campaign with a three-length romp in the King Glorious S. at
Los Alamitos.
By saddling Acceptance in the California Cup Derby, trainer Don Warren is
following the same path that horseman Art Sherman utilized for eventual Kentucky
Derby (G1) winner and Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit). That
chestnut was sixth in the Golden State Juvenile before dominating both the King
Glorious and Cal Cup Derby.
California Chrome followed up with triumphs in the San Felipe S. (G2) and
Santa Anita Derby (G1), and Acceptance will likely find himself continuing on
the same road to the Derby if he runs well in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile contest.
Regular rider Elvis Trujillo retains the mount aboard the sophomore. |
Acceptance faces quite a few familiar foes in the Cal Cup Derby, as the
second, third and fourth-place runners from the King Glorious also return for
this race. Pulmarack (Lucky Pulpit) entered that race off a 4 1/4-length maiden
victory and held second by a half-length over Kluszewski (Northern Afleet), who
also took on the King Glorious following a maiden score. Mischief Clem (Papa
Clem) was another 3 1/4 lengths back in fourth.
Completing the Cal Cup Derby field are Chanito (Surf Cat), Avanti Bello
(Include) and last-out maiden winners Tough Sunday (Grazen) and Neveradoubt (Decarchy).
Kicking off the stakes action at Santa Anita on Saturday will be the $200,000
California Cup Oaks, which attracted eight sophomore fillies going a mile on
the turf. Only half the field has ever tried turf, with Swiss Skimmer (Swiss
Yodeler) owning the most starts. The Steven Specht pupil placed in both her
attempts over Golden Gate Fields' green, including a head second on yielding
ground in November. She finally broke her maiden December 14 on Golden Gate
Fields' synthetic Tapeta.
Tribal Express (Lucky Pulpit) was second in a grassy Del Mar allowance while
Silver Starlight (Marino Marini) filled that same spot against fellow maidens at
Santa Anita on New Year's Day. Singing Kitty (Minister's Wild Cat) faded to
seventh, beaten just 3 1/2 lengths, while making her grass debut in the Blue
Norther S.
Soviet Problem S. runner-up Heat the Rocks (Unusual Heat) and recent 6
1/2-length maiden scorer Sheer Pleasure (Birdonthewire) will be tough if they
take to the green while Patsy G and Me (Unusual Heat) and Light One (Comic
Strip) complete the field.
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| Alert Bay just defeated Home Run Kitten in the Mathis Bros Mile
(Benoit Photos) |
One of the more competitive events on Cal Cup Day will be the $250,000
California Cup Turf Classic, which sends a field of 12 nine furlongs on the
green.
Alert Bay (City Zip) and Awesome Return (Decarchy) were one-three,
respectively, in the Mathis Brothers Mile S. (G2) on December 26, while Big Bane
Theory (Artie Schiller) captured last fall's City of Hope Mile S. (G2). Grade 1
victor Tamarando (Bertrando), Grade 2 runner-up Bench Light (Benchmark) and 2014
Cal Cup Turf Classic second Stoney Fleece (Decarchy) are also entered.
Big Macher (Beau Genius) and Rousing Sermon (Lucky Pulpit) finished first and
second, respectively, in the Cary Grant S. on November 23, and face-off once
again in the $150,000
California Cup Sprint at six furlongs. The former triumphed in the Bing
Crosby S. (G1) and Potrero Grande S. (G2) last year while Rousing Sermon ran
second in the Tiznow S. in 2014. The Cal Cup Sprint also features stakes debuter
and five-year-old gelding San Onofre (Surf Cat), who is 5-4-1-0 thus far in his
short career.
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A full field of 14 distaffers will go about 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill
turf course in the $150,000
Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint between the Cal Cup Derby and
Sprint. Among the participants are stakes winner Velvet Mesquite (In Excess),
third in the Monrovia S. (G2) three weeks ago; Grade 2 victress
Doinghardtimeagain (Ministers Wild Cat), third in the Kalookan Queen S. last
out; and Marks Mine (Benchmark), the runner-up from last year's Filly & Mare
Turf.
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