Santa Anita wrap: Cal Cup Derby DQ lifts Whiskyginandbrandy

Shea Brennan crossed the wire first in Saturday’s $175,000 California Cup Derby at Santa Anita, but he was disqualified for making “hard contact” with runner-up Whiskyginandbrandy as that pair approached the top of the stretch. In a unanimous decision by the stewards, Whiskyginandbrandy was promoted to the win.

The race for 3-year-olds was the feature on California Cup day showcasing state-bred talent. The card was pushed back seven days from last weekend because of wildfires and poor air quality.

Shea Brennan (3-1) and Whiskyginandbrandy (20-1) were mounting rallies on the outside when the incident occurred. From that point the pair sprinted past the rest of the field with Shea Brennan crossing the wire a neck in front.

Pereira claimed foul for the incident, and there was also a stewards inquiry.

“I got in a good position outside, and I could see Shea Brennan coming, and he tried to find open space,” Pereira said. “There was a little situation of a bump on my horse that caused him to shift out of stride. I claimed foul, because my horse was bumped and it cost me the race.

The final time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:46.12 following fractions of 23.37, 48.28 and 1:13.60 and 1:39.69.

A 3-year-old colt by Stay Thirsty, Whiskyginandbrandy is owned by Anthony Chacón, Víctor Flores and breeder Terry Lovinger. He broke his maiden going six furlongs in November at Del Mar and finished fourth behind winner Shea Brennan in the King Glorious Stakes for California-breds at Los Alamitos on Dec. 15.

“My horse had a lot of trouble in his last start,” Knapp said of the King Glorious. “He got scared in that race, and he has really been training great since.  I knew he was ready for another great race. I saw the other horse knock my horse off stride.  That’s a fantastic horse (Shea Brennan), too, but that bump clearly decided the race.”

Whiskyginandbrandy paid $42.20, $11.00 and $7.20. Shea Brennan, trained by Phil D’Amato, returned $4.60 and $3.40. Style Cat finished third under Juan Hernández for trainer Peter Miller. He paid $7.20 to show.

Take Another Card takes Oaks

Three weeks after a debut win sprinting on turf at Santa Anita, Take Another Card stretched out to a mile for her stakes debut and promptly scored by a neck under Héctor Berrios in the $175,000 California Cup Oaks on turf.

Take Another Card saved ground throughout while racing in mid-pack behind fractions of 23.10, 47.96 and 1:12.98 for six furlongs. In the stretch after some jostling near the three-sixteenths pole, Take Another Card straightened and surged past the leaders to win as the 9-5 favorite.

Miso Phansy (3-1) ridden by Umberto Rispoli finished second. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Tequilaandtherapy (5-1) in third.

“She broke perfectly out of the gate,” Berrios said of the winner. “I told her to go, and she was comfortable and settled perfectly. When I saved ground, she stayed comfortable, and I knew I had it. The last quarter there was a little contact with (Less Is More), but she came through no problem. In the stretch her stride was very nice. She is a very classy filly.”

Take Another Card is trained by Simon Callaghan for Reddam Racing. The 3-year-old filly by I’ll Have Another won with a time of 1:36.98. With the $96,250 winner’s share of the purse, Take Another Card pushed her earnings to $132,250.

“It was very exciting,” Powell said. “Héctor gave her a lovely ride, saved every inch of ground, and they got a little tight in the stretch. But she was very brave. She went through a very tight hole.”

Take Another Card paid $5.80, $3.20 and $2.40. Miso Phansy, trained by Leonard Powell, returned $4.00 and $3.20. Tequilaandtherapy with Edwin Maldonado up for trainer Doug O’Neill paid $3.40.

Old Pal wins Unusual Heat Turf Classic

Favorite Old Pal and Fresu found racing room in the stretch and kicked clear to prevail in the $175,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic going 1 1/8 miles.

Sent off the 9-5 favorite, Old Pal settled in mid-pack through fractions of 24.18, 47.42 and 1:11.51 for six furlongs. They were stuck behind horses when the field reached the top of stretch, but once things cleared, Old Pal proceeded to grind his way to a one-length victory. Coalinga Road (14-1), who won this race in 2023, rallied to be second under Rispoli with a neck back to On the Whim (7-2) in third.

“The horse ran great today,” Fresu said. “He came up from the middle of the pack, found the lane and just did an amazing job. All credit to (trainer) Mark Glatt and his team. I think the extra eighth of a mile really helped. It allowed him to stretch it out and get the win.”

Old Pal won with a time of 1:47.93. He is owned by Blinkers On Racing Stable, Carolyn Corbett, Jai Desai, Frederick Dizonno, Chris García, Cheryl Harris, Craig Hocevar, Tom Lewis, Garrett Pate, James Titus and Les Wagner. Before the Turf Classic, Old Pal rallied to be third in a second-level allowance going a mile Nov. 17 at Del Mar.

“He needs that good, hot pace,” Glatt said. “We didn’t get a good pace today, it was just okay. But I think the extra eighth of a mile was the difference. At the sixteenth pole I was wondering if he was actually going to get there, but he grabbed them late.”

This was Old Pal’s second stakes win. As a 3-year-old in 2023 the Grazen gelding won the Snow Chief going 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita. He is 11: 4-2-4 with $341,190 in earnings.

Old Pal paid $5.60, $3.00 and $2.40. Coaling Road, trained by Carla Gaines, returned $9.60 and $6.20. On the Whim, ridden by Pereira for Dean Pederson, paid $3.40.

Shocking Grey shocks in Sunshine

Shocking Grey outran even-money favorite Stay and Scam in the stretch to pull off an 8-1 upset in the $125,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint going about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

With Fresu aboard, Shocking Grey ranged up to the outside of leader Stay and Scam when reaching the dirt crossing and kicked clear late to earn her first stakes win by 2 1/4 lengths. Stay and Scam held on for second by a half-length over Moment’s Pleasure (3-1). Elegant Sway, a 108-1 long shot with Kyle Frey up for trainer Victor Trujillo, checked in fourth. The 10-cent superfecta returned $160.78.

“I've never sat on the filly before, but I listened to the trainer,” Fresu said. “He did a very good job to bring her in perfect form. He just told me the key with this field was just to get her to the outside and let her be free.”

Shocking Grey is a 6-year-old mare by Grazen. She was bred by the late Don Valpredo and is owned by Valpredo Family Trust. The win lifted Shocking Grey’s record to 14: 3-3-4 with $250,750 in earnings.

Valpredo’s daughter Alexis Moseley was on hand for the victory. She reflected on her early years attending Santa Anita with her father, who was a giant in California racing and breeding.

“We were here every morning, and we would go to the barns and see the jockeys and the horses,” Moseley said. “We would be in the winner’s circle by the end of the day. It is such an honor to be representing today and with two wins in our pocket.” 

In Saturday’s third race, Valpredo homebred Mayacama ($3.40) scored in a $50,000 maiden claimer for fillies and mares.

Shocking Grey paid $19.00, $5.60 and $3.40. Stay and Scam, ridden by Rispoli for O’Neill, returned $2.60 and $2.20. Moment’s Pleasure with Flavien Prat up for trainer Craig Lewis paid $2.80.

Big City Lights is bright in Cal Cup Sprint

Big City Lights collected his fifth stakes win when romping to a 7 3/4-length victory in the $125,000 California Cup Sprint going six furlongs.

Prat rode Big City Lights in place of Kazushi Kimura, who took off all mounts Saturday after being injured Thursday. Big City Lights was near the pace up the backstretch, took command at the quarter pole and extended his lead all the way to the wire. He won with a time of 1:09.46 following fractions of 22.13, 44.94 and 57.15 seconds.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Big City Lights paid $2.20 and $2.10. There was no show wagering following the scratch of Geezer. Clovisconnection, ridden by William Antongeorgi III for trainer Blaine Wright, rallied to be second. He paid $2.40 to place. Smiling Beast, ridden by Armando Ayuso for trainer Brian Koriner, settled for third after setting the early pace.

Big City Lights is owned by William Peeples. The 6-year-old horse by Mr. Big improved to 13: 7-4-1 with $578,420 in earnings. Last year, Big City Lights won the Grade 3 Palos Verdes at Santa Anita and the Cary Grant for state-breds at Del Mar. In 2022 he won the Real Good Deal for state-breds at Del Mar and as a 2-year-old in 2022 won the Futurity Stakes at Santa Anita in his second career start.

“He’s a beautiful horse,” Mandella said. “He has a classy head, great balance. Just a classy looking horse.”