Lucky Primo Headlines Cal-Bred Winners at Santa Anita California Cup Day

It wasn't the 95-degree day that I've been accustomed to dealing with in my last several trips to Santa Anita Park. But that made it a perfect setting for showcasing the best of the California-bred horses on the 23rd annual California Cup Day.

It was Lucky Primo who took the $175,000 Lava Man California Cup Classic by a neck over 40-1 longshot Got Even.

"I think he's probably best on grass but he handles anything," Lucky Primo trainer Joshua Litt said.

Lucky Primo finished second in this race last year when it was raced on the turf at Hollywood Park and is coming off of a setback on Aug. 30 on the turf in Del Mar in a fourth-place finish.

"He's just a solid, solid Cal-bred," Litt continued. "Look at the size of him. He's a big, huge horse, tries really hard, he's extremely talented."

Got Even's trainer Peter Miller had a good perspective in his second-place finish.

"He gave it everything he had, but he just came up a bit short. A nice payday for running second."

The disappointment was 7-5 favorite John Scott who placed after breaking out of the gates slowly. "He wasn't really that interested today," trainer Carla Gaines said.

There was no repeat of the drama that occurred Friday afternoon. The second race was declared a no contest by the three-member board of stewards as Spinning Love proceeded to run the wrong way as he left the chute and unseated jockey Alonso Quinonez. In the six-furlong sprint for maiden two-year olds, Spinning Love ran along the inside rail and took the Club House turn into the stretch.

"As the field rounded the turn, the jockeys could see the loose horse and they stopped riding," steward Kim Sawyer said. Once the outrider was able to corral the wayward horse, the jockeys carried on and persevered with their mounts to the wire to no avail.

"It was our judgement, however, that the race be declared a no contest because it was obvious that the running of the race had been seriously disrupted."

A total of $267,507 was refunded as a result of the no contest.

It wasn't quite so dangerous in the first race of the afternoon, but no less thrilling when Marlenadarlena edged out Miss Well Molded by a neck in a photo finish in the one-mile turf race in front of 8,604 in attendance.

The first of the five California Cup stakes races was the 1-1/16 mile $250,000 Bob Benoit California Cup Juvenile for two-year old colts and geldings. The morning 7-2 favorite Thehumancomplaint was the 2-1 favorite at race time and finished a disappointing seventh in a ten-horse field.

"It was the distance," Thehumancomplaint jockey Rafael Bejarano admitted. "He didn't want to go two turns, definitely."

It was jockey Martin Garcia who rode the 5-1 Monument to the winner's circle despite not having the best ride.

"I think he looked too much at the people in the grandstands," Garcia said. "I had a lot of horse, that's why he had time to look around."

It seemed that Monument didn't have the problem Thehumancomplaint had. "This was the first time he's run at a distance, and it looks like he likes it," Garcia added.

For Monument's trainer John Sadler, who also trained the second place Ballard Ruler, there are no plans for any further races for Monument.

"We'll probably keep him in the state-bred program for now," Sadler said. "But he is an improving horse, and we're excited."

The afternoon ended with the $250,000 Keith E. Card California Cup Juvenile Fillies won by 2-1 favorite Tilde rounded out with Doinghardtimeagain, Cotton's Point and Akiss Forarose.

"My horse broke so beautiful from the gate, and I just wanted to make sure I put her in the right spot," Tilde jockey Rafael Bejarano said. "She was flying in the end.

"This is a good filly. She's getting better."

In the $100,000 John Deere California Cup Distaff, Tiz Flirtatious, the 7-2 favorite took the race despite not racing since the Grade II La Canada Stakes on Jan. 22.

"Today she was really relaxed and she covered a lot of ground when I asked her to run," jockey Joel Rosario said. "She looked good."

Maui Mark took the $100,000 Donald Valpredo California Cup Sprint by a half-length.

"It wasn't the smoothest of trips," jockey Garrett Gomez said. "I squeezed him early just to help him get on his feet and he kind of struggled."

Bella Viaggia won the second $100,000 John Deere California Cup Distaff by two lengths, a race led most of the way by 50-1 underdog Camille C who faded late. 6-5 favorite Sugarinthemorning finished a disappointing seventh.

"When horses want to win like that and they come out running, those are seasoned horses," Bella Viaggia trainer Mike Puype said. "She showed a big race today to be like that."

In keeping with the California celebration, all fans were given a Doug O'Neill bobblehead complete with the yellow Santa Anita cap he doffed during I'll Have Another's quest for horse racing's first Triple Crown since 1978's Affirmed.

I'll Have Another's quest started in April at the Santa Anita Derby and continued until he was retired the day before the Belmont Stakes due to tendinitis of his left front leg.

The third race, a one-mile turf for three-year olds and upward, was one for the Los Angeles baseball fans. Gurnick, no relation to Dodgers.com beat writer Ken Gurnick, raced from the first gate and finished eighth in a field of 11 horses. The winner by a head was Bud I Crushed It owned by former Dodger and current Boston Red Sox eephus pitcher extraordinaire Vicente Padilla.

Next weekend will find Santa Anita hosting the 626 Night Market in the infield of the track. "We're thrilled to be hosting this event," Santa Anita CEO Mark Verge said. The Night Market will be from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday and from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday.