Tizbud Tries to Beat the Odds

Tizbud, a 10-1 shot when he won the California Cup Classic last year, is lightly regarded again this time, at 6-1 on the morning line for the 15th running of the 1 1/8 -mile race on Saturday at Santa Anita.

The annual card restricted to California-breds will feature 10 races worth $1.3 million.

A son of Cee’s Tizzy and Cee’s Song, Tizbud is a full brother of Tiznow, who became the only Cal-bred to win a Breeders’ Cup when he won $4-million Classics in 2000 and 2001. Tizbud is a 5-year-old who has run only six times, but trainer John Sadler is an expert at having him ready to run. Saturday’s race will be Tizbud’s first since he won in the Cal Cup last year.

Like Tizbud, Calkins Road will try to win the Cal Cup Classic for an unprecedented second time. Calkins Road, also a 5-year-old, won the race in 2002. Tizbud, who has been ridden by Victor Espinoza in all his races, will be ridden by Tyler Baze on Saturday.

Gary Stevens can tie the retired Laffit Pincay for the most Classic wins if he clicks with Excess Summer, the 5-2 favorite. Stevens’ other wins were with Awesome Daze in 1997 and Luthier Fever in 1995. Excess Summer is winless in two starts this year but ran second to Southern Image in the Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita in January.

Here is the lineup, with jockeys and morning-line odds, in post-position order:

Tizbud, Tyler Baze, 6-1; Intuit, Garrett Gomez, 20-1; Excess Summer, Gary Stevens, 5-2; Yougottawanna, Russell Baze, 9-2; Calkins Road, Rene Douglas, 6-1; Lava Man, Jon Court, 20-1; Kedington, Omar Figueroa, 8-1; Cozy Guy, Corey Nakatani, 15-1; Commander’s Flag, Victor Espinoza, 8-1; and Anziyan Royalty, David Flores, 6-1.

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The Down Side, at 2-1, is the morning-line favorite in Saturday night’s $200,000 Los Alamitos Championship. The winner receives an invitation to the $500,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 11, but all of the 10 quarter-horse entrants except Deefirst have already secured invitations. Deefirst is on the alternate list, and other alternates can move into the Champion of Champions field if invitees don’t run.

The Down Side will be running for the first time since he won the Champion of Champions last year.

“We were not able to get him in an allowance race before this race, so here we are,” said Paul Jones, who trains the horse. “It’s going to be a tough race. The Down Side might be at a disadvantage going 440 yards in his first time back, but we think he can do it.”

Jones will saddle three other horses in the race: Meteoric, Jess Rapid and Whosleavingwho, co-world champion in 2002.

The field, with opening odds: Sky Lake Pie, 30-1; Whosleavingwho, 5-1; Chicksthinkrich, 5-2; Catchmeinyourdreams, 3-1; The Down Side, 2-1; Meteoric, 5-1; Snow Me, 30-1; Jess Rapid, 6-1; Buccaneer Beach, 5-2; and Deefirst, 20-1. Whosleavingwho and Meteoric are coupled in the betting, as are Chicksthinkrich and Buccaneer Beach.

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Jerry Bailey, who broke his left wrist in a fall from a ladder Sept. 1, rode for the first time since the injury and finished fourth twice Thursday at Belmont Park.

One of Bailey’s mounts in the Breeders’ Cup at Lone Star Park on Oct. 30 is Pleasantly Perfect, who teamed with the jockey to win the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Bailey has lost the mount, however, on Kitten’s Joy, who is the probable favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. John Velazquez, the leading rider nationally in purses, will take over.

“The guy [trainer Richard Mandella] with the best horse in the world [Pleasantly Perfect] never flinched,” Bailey said. “[Ken Ramsey, owner of Kitten’s Joy] jumped ship, but that’s part of the business. My strength is good, and I feel good. Now all I have to do is get a few fast horses.”

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Pico Central will pass up the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. It would have cost $200,000 to supplement Pico Central into the $1-million race.... Bago, winner of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, won’t run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The plan is to race the 3-year-old colt next year.