Lewis has shot to sweep Cal Cup Derby, Oaks

There’s no hotter sire in California right now than Clubhouse Ride, and there’s no one benefiting more than Craig Lewis, who trained Clubhouse Ride and has excelled with his California-bred offspring, including a pair of 3-year-olds who give Lewis a chance to sweep the California Cup Derby and California Cup Oaks on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Club Aspen will be up first, in race 7, the $200,000 Cal Cup Derby. Upset winner of the one-mile King Glorious for statebreds at Los Alamitos last time out, Club Aspen looks for his second straight victory going two turns on dirt in the 1 1/16-mile Cal Cup Derby.

Warren’s Showtime follows in race 8, the $200,000 Cal Cup Oaks for fillies going one mile on turf. She owns two wins going a mile on turf, including one at Santa Anita in the Surfer Girl against open company.

Both are family affairs. Lewis trains Club Aspen for his brother Larry, and Lewis trained both the sire and dam (Grade 1 winner Warren’s Veneda) of Warren’s Showtime.

Clubhouse Ride, who now stands at Pete and Ev Parrella’s Legacy Ranch, is a son of Candy Ride who earned more than $1.3 million in a 43-race career whose highlights included victories in consecutive runnings of the Grade 2 Californian at Hollywood Park in 2013 and Santa Anita in 2014. Lewis bought him on behalf of the Seidner family’s Six-S Racing as a 2-year-old for just $22,000.

“It’s very gratifying because I purchased Clubhouse Ride, raced him, and I’m getting some of his offspring, and they’re really nice horses,” Lewis said Thursday morning.

“We’ve got to get good trips Saturday, but if we do we’ve got a chance in both races.”

California Cup Derby

Club Aspen landed post 5 in a field of nine for the Cal Cup Derby. He was an 8-1 winner of the King Glorious, earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 76.

“I think it was his best race,” Lewis said. “I think he’s coming around. I think he really liked that surface. The issue is whether he can transfer that form to Santa Anita, which is a completely different surface.”

Club Aspen was seventh of 11 in his only start on Santa Anita’s dirt, but it was in a sprint in which he drew the rail going seven furlongs.

There are two intriguing returnees in the Cal Cup Derby, including Fast Enough, who hasn’t been seen since a runaway victory in his lone start back in May at Santa Anita. He won the 4 1/2-furlong race by more than three lengths while recording a Beyer figure of 76. This is a tall order, going two turns following a layoff of more than seven months.

His trainer, Rafael Becerra, said shin soreness at Del Mar and an illness last fall are the reasons Fast Enough was away from the races until now.

“I wish I had another long workout or a race into him, but I couldn’t get a race to go for him opening day,” Becerra said. “We should learn a lot about him after this race.”

Big Returns, now with trainer Doug O’Neill, makes his first start since being placed first via disqualification in the Graduation Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 2.

Better Trip Nick ventures south after compiling a strong résumé on Tapeta at Golden Gate, where he won four times in five starts, all for trainer and co-owner Bill Delia.

California Cup Oaks

A bulky field of 12 was entered in the Cal Cup Oaks, with Warren’s Showtime landing post 5. This will be her first start since finishing third behind rivals Been Studying Her and Smiling Shirlee in the Golden State Juvenile sprinting on dirt Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.

“She got sick and I had to miss some time with her,” said Lewis, who had intended to run Warren’s Showtime at Los Alamitos last month in the Soviet Problem. “That’s my concern. Does she have enough bottom? That being said, she’s a very good filly.”

Been Studying Her is making her turf debut. She is 3 for 3 sprinting, but was fourth in both her two-turn tries, including at 2-5 in the Soviet Problem.

Smiling Shirlee was second in the Soviet Problem after finishing second in the Golden State Juvenile. She, too, is trying turf for the first time.

“I don’t think it’ll be an issue,” said her trainer, Jeff Bonde. “Smiling Tigers run on grass. Storm Cat line. She finishes in all her races.”

Cholula Lips, the Soviet Problem winner, was considered for the Cal Cup Derby on dirt vs. males before her connections settled on this race. She was fifth of six in her only grass race, the Surfer Girl.

Almost a Factor and Warrior’s Moon, both maiden winners on turf at Santa Anita, rate strong looks as they return to their preferred surface.