Holladay Road Fires Cal Cup Bullet

Julio Canani anticipates further dividends Saturday from Holladay Road, a 6-year-old gelding he claimed for owners Gary and Wendy Broad on July 31 at Del Mar.

The son of Street Cry was an eventful fourth next out after the claim, on Aug. 27, beaten only a length, then won by one length at Santa Anita going 6 ½ furlongs on dirt Oct. 6, coming from eighth and last at the half-mile marker, with the whip turned down under an energetic hand ride from Garrett Gomez.

Next up: the $175,000 California Cup Classic at 1 1/8 miles on turf Saturday. Holladay Road worked four furlongs on Santa Anita’s main track Sunday in a bullet :46 flat.

“I saw he was a good horse and I love the sire Street Cry,” Canani said in explaining the claim. “He got in a lot of trouble in the race on Aug. 27. He was supposed to sit first or second but he was running next to last.”

Street Cry, foaled in Ireland in 1998, was second in the Norfolk Stakes and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2000. At three, he won the UAE 2000 Guineas and at four captured the rich Dubai World Cup. With a 5-6-1 record from 12 starts, he earned more than $5 million.

The Classic will mark the first stakes race for Holladay Road, who has four wins from 10 career starts.

With an allowance win by nearly five lengths at one mile on turf at Hollywood Park last May and a third and a fourth in two other grass tries, Canani is confident the lightly raced Holladay Road is up to the Classic assignment.

“He’s a nice horse,” Canani said. “When he won here, Gomez never hit him.”