$100,000 John Deere Cal Cup Distaff LA NEZ

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Oct. 30, 2010) – La Nez took over at midstretch and won Saturday’s $100,000 John Deere California Cup Distaff Stakes for fillies and mares at Oak Tree at Hollywood Park.

La Nez is a 3-year-old filly by Storm Creek, out of the stakes-winning Iz a Saros mare Iza Bay, was bred by J. Chance Kruljac, is owned by Class Racing Stable or Orth, was trained by J. E. Kruljac and ridden by Victor Espinoza.

“Everything set up well for me,” said Espinoza. “She broke sharp and sat in right behind those two horses (Perfect Vintage and U Turn Me Crazy) on the lead. I was just cruising down the lane. She’s doing so well right now.”

She has four wins in 13 starts, earnings of $321,000 and was coming off a seventh in the Sept. 5 Torrey Pines. She won last year’s Cal Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita.

“She likes Cal Cup day,” said trainer J. Eric Kruljac. “She was very keen, she wanted to go to the lead. She’s just been training so well. I think her career on the grass coming down the hill (at Santa Anita) might open up new opportunities for her and she’s going to have to run against open races, but the way she ran today she can develop into something.”

Kruljac said he’s thinking about giving La Nez a short break and aiming for the La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita in December.

“We might take one more stab at the Grade I providing she is doing well,” he said.

La Nez ran the six furlongs on a “good” turf course in 1:09.47 at odds of 3-1 and won by 1 ¾ lengths over Perfect Vintage, with favored U R All That I Am third in a field of eight.

For La Nez’s pedigree, click http://www.pedigreequery.com/la+nez.