From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 15, 2020)–A pair of homebreds, Harris Farms’ Fashionably Fast and Nick Alexander’s Lieutenant Dan, along with Bob Baffert’s comebacking Heck Yeah, head a field of seven older horses going six furlongs in Saturday’s $150,000 Donald Valpredo California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita.
A 5-year-old gelding by Lucky Pulpit, Fashionable Fast comes off the best year of his career, which saw him win four of six starts, including his last four in a row, with two of them being stakes.
Lieutenant Dan, a 4-year-old Grazen gelding, has been idle since Aug. 25 and he too, enjoyed a banner 2019, winning four out of nine starts, which included two stakes victories.
Idle since March 9, lightly raced 5-year-old Heck Yeah, whose four wins include three stakes victories, has trained lights-out for his return to action and could well command considerable pari-mutuel interest.
FASHIONABLY FAST
Breeder: Harris Farms
Owner: Harris Farms, Inc., Per Antonsen & John Nicoletti
Trainer: Dean Pederson
A winner of two allowance sprints this past summer at Del Mar, he ventured north to the Big Fresno Fair on Oct. 5, where he took the six furlong Harris Farms Stakes by three quarters of a length as the 7-5 favorite. He followed that with a solid half length score as the even money choice in the seven furlong Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 24 and has trained lights-out for his return on Saturday. Out of the Forestry mare Fall Fashion, Fashionably Fast is 14-5-3-2 overall with earnings of $299,745.
LIEUTENANT DAN
Breeder: Nick Alexander
Owner: Nick Alexander
Trainer: Steve Miyadi
Idle since a well beaten third behind Grade I winning Improbable in the one mile Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 25, he was a three length winner of the seven furlong Real Good Deal Stakes two starts back on July 27. Talented on both turf and dirt, Lieutenant Dan, who is out of the Indian Charlie mare Excusabull, fairly aired in his only try at six furlongs, an eight length maiden tally in his second career start here on Jan. 13, 2019. With an overall mark of 10-4-1-4 and earnings of $316,020, two-time stakes winner Lieutenant Dan has ample class as he tries to overcome a lack of recency.
HECK YEAH
Breeder: Michael Pageler
Owner: Bob Baedeker, Constance Pageler & Michael Sigband
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Bred in California by Michael Pageler, this 5-year-old full horse by Acclamation won his first three starts, including victories in the 2018 Cal Cup Sprint and the 2018 Cal Cup Derby. A disappointing sixth in the Cal Cup Sprint last year on Jan. 26, he’s been idle since running fifth in a six furlong allowance on March 3. Although winless in two 2019 starts, he’s won four out of his seven career starts (three of them stakes), amassing earnings of $309,833. With a scintillating work tab to his credit, he could be ready to click when ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat on Saturday.
THE $150,000 DONALD VALPREDO CAL CUP SPRINT WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 5 of 9 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT
- Baja Sur–Juan Hernandez–124
- Fashionably Fast–Tiago Pereira–124
- Oliver–Abel Cedillo–124
- Heck Yeah–Flavien Prat–122
- Brandothebartender–Umberto Rispoli–122
- Lieutenant Dan–Drayden Van Dyke–124
- League of Shadows–Ruben Fuentes–122