From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif (Jan. 7, 2025)—Dozens of the best horses bred or sired in California will compete in five stakes as part of an 11-race card set for California Cup Day Saturday at Santa Anita. First post is 11:30 a.m. PT. Headlining California Cup Day is a trio of stakes worth $175,000 in prize money: the California Chrome California Cup Derby for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on dirt; Leigh Ann Howard California Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf; and Unusual Heat Turf Classic for 4-year-olds and older going 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Rounding out the stakes action is the $125,000 Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint going six furlongs and $125,000 Sunshine Millions Filly Mare Turf Sprint at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.
In addition to the action on the track, racegoers on California Cup Day can enjoy Santa Anita’s popular Burgers & Brews festival. Burgers & Brews features gourmet burgers from some of the best vendors in Los Angeles. Ticket packages for Burgers & Brews start at just $19 when purchased online at Santaanita.com.
The California Chrome California Cup Derby features a rematch of Shea Brennan and I’m a Bad Boy, who were separated by just a nose when running one-two in last month’s King Glorious Stakes for statebreds at Los Alamitos.
Shea Brennan is trained by Phil D’Amato for owner-breeder Nick Alexander. The colt by Tough Sunday set the pace in the one-mile King Glorious and gamely held off a late challenge from I’m a Bad Boy to earn his first stakes win. I’m a Bad Boy, a gelding by Stay Thirsty, is trained by Luis Mendez for owner C T R Stables.
The Unusual Heat Turf Classic presented by City National Bank attracted a highly competitive field of 11. On the Whim is a two-time statebred stakes winner for Harris Farms and trainer Dean Pederson. Jimmy Blue Jeans exits a win against open company in a second-level allowance at a mile on turf for trainer Jeff Mullins and owners Perry Bruno and Amy Gezon. Veteran Grade II winner None Above the Law returns to the statebred ranks following a sixth in the GII Hollywood Turf Cup in November for trainer Jorge Periban and owner Hector Castrellon.
Old Pal is a statebred stakes winner for trainer Mark Glatt and an ownership group that includes Blinkers On Racing Stable, Carolyn Corbett and Jai H. Desai. Glatt also entered Aligato, who was third beaten just a half-length in last year’s Unusual Heat Turf Classic.
The Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks is also a wide-open affair with 12, 3-year-old fillies set to compete. Several of the runners exit last month’s Soviet Problem Stakes for statebreds going one mile on dirt at Los Alamitos including winner Hey Jessie for trainer Sean McCarthy and owner Sayjay Racing LLC.
The Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint presented by John Deere is led by Stay and Scam, a multiple stakes winner versus statebreds who also placed in two Grade III’s last year for trainer Doug O’Neill and Reddam Racing.
In the California Cup Sprint, Grade III winner Big City Lights looms large for trainer Richard Mandella and owner William R. Peeples. Big City Lights exits an 8 ½ lengths romp in the seven-furlong Cary Grant Stakes for statebreds at Del Mar on Nov. 9. The new face in the lineup is promising Smiling Beast, who makes his stakes debut after winning his first two starts against statebreds. He is trained by Brian Koriner for owners Edward Rusty J. Brown, Alan P. Klein and Philip Lebherz.
Admission gates Saturday open at 9:30 a.m. PT. To view the full entries for California Cup Day, visit santaanita.com.