OAK TREE : Upsets the Rule in California Cup

If nothing else, the first California Cup was a longshot player’s delight.

Upsets were the rule during the $1 million, seven-race series spotlighting California-breds.

Theresa’s Pleasure, who went wire to wire in the Juvenile Fillies, the final race, was the lone favorite to reach the winner’ circle. The biggest surprises came from Great Event, who won the Starter Handicap at 19-1, and Gum, who won the Mile at 16-1.

Trainer Bill Spawr had to settle for second with heavily favored Sensational Star in the Sprint, but his disappointment didn’t last long.

A few hours later, My Sonny Boy, a horse Spawr claimed for $62,500 June 16, led every step of the way and won the richest Cal Cup race, the $300,000 Classic.

Riding to instructions, Jorge Velasquez, who replaced the absent Pat Valenzuela, urged the 5-year-old out of the gate, was able to get over to the rail from his outside (No. 14) position into the first turn, and kept right on going to provide Spawr with his most lucrative victory.

My Sonny Boy completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:46, one-fifth of a second off Star Spangled’s track record--over a track that favored front-runners all afternoon. My Sonny Boy finished 2 1/2 lengths ahead of 15-1 shot Stylish Stud, who was later disqualified and placed third for coming out and bumping Rob An Plunder, the original third-place finisher, in the final sixteenth.

Blinkers have obviously made a difference to My Sonny Boy. Since they were added three races ago, he has two victories and a second and he had all kinds of trouble in his defeat in the Pomona Invitational Handicap at Fairplex Park.

“This horse wants to be on the lead,” said Spawr after another of his astute claims paid off in a big way for owner Carlton Sell. “He has no punch. You have to let him run out there, stride out and finish.

“I just told Jorge to put him on his toes and put him on the lead. He won at Pomona (the C.B. Afflerbaugh) and I thought he was five lengths the best in the Pomona Handicap, but he got into all kinds of trouble. I’ve been pointing him for this since that race.”

It was also a huge victory for Velasquez, who is giving California another try after a long and successful career in the East.

“Mr. Spawr told me not to let this horse get stopped,” he said. “He’s a big horse. He told me to get him away 1-2-3 to avoid losing ground. I didn’t need the whip to get him going, and when we got the lead, so much the better.

“He was going easy. It didn’t seem like he was going that fast (22 1/5, 45, 1:09 and 1:33 3/5 for the mile). He finished strong, too. This is my biggest win in California in some time.”

Variety Road, who could have gone over $1 million in career earnings with a victory, finished sixth as the lukewarm 3-1 favorite.

Gum, who had won only one of his previous nine starts on the turf, outfinished another outsider, 7-1 shot Individualist, to win the $150,000 Mile.

It was an emotional victory for trainer Mel Stute. Gum is owned by The Hat Ranch of Bay and the late Ken Schiffer, a longtime force in the California thoroughbred industry who died earlier this year.

“Mrs. Schiffer wanted this one because her husband was so much a part of the California Cup,” Stute said. “We were very close. It meant a lot to me to win on this day for him.”

Crystal’s Game made it five victories in six starts by beating troubled stablemate Mizter Interco by three-quarters of a length in the $100,000 Juvenile. Treated with Lasix for the first time, the Crystal Water gelding covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 2/5 under Kent Desormeaux.

Theresa’s Pleasure’s final time in the Juvenile Fillies was the same as that of Crystal’s Game as she remained perfect in four starts. Owned and bred by 87-year-old Lester Smith, the daughter of Greenwood Star began her career in a $32,000 maiden race at Los Alamitos last summer.

Valiant Pete, who was racing with Lasix for the first time, ran six furlongs in 1:08 1/5 to surprise 7-10 favorite Sensational Star by a half-length in the $100,000 Sprint.

Ridden by Julio Garcia and trained by John Sadler, the 4-year-old gelded son of The Irish Lord drew away after a :43 1/5 half-mile, had a 2 1/2-length lead after completing five furlongs in :55 1/5, then held on.

Linda Card picked the right time to win her first race of 1990 in the $150,000 Distaff at 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf. Winless in 10 previous starts this year and a loser in five earlier grass appearances, she and Gary Stevens defeated favored Survive by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:12 3/5.

Great Event, who was claimed for $25,000 by trainer Robert St. Cyr on Aug. 11, outbattled Comical to win the $50,000 Starter Handicap.

Petite Ile could clinch an Eclipse Award with a victory in the $400,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes today at Santa Anita.

The 4-year-old Ile de Bourbon filly hasn’t been out since beating males in Hollywood Park’s Sunset due to a shin problem, but she has been training very well for Ed Gregson. Before the Sunset, she also beat the boys in the Golden Gate Handicap and has won three of her four U.S. starts. Corey Black again will ride.