Santa Anita: Stakes-placed maiden Electric Eddie earns shot at California Cup Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. – There were no smiles from Ben Cecil when Electric Eddie finished first in a maiden race for 3-year-old California-breds at Santa Anita on Jan. 2. A bumping incident in early stretch with runner-up Oh Billy Billy was foremost on the trainer’s mind.

“I knew he was coming down,” Cecil recalled.

Cecil’s intuition was correct. Electric Eddie, a 1-5 shot in a field of five, was demoted to second after an inquiry.

Although he is 0 for 7, Electric Eddie was second in two stakes around two turns in November.

Those races have given Cecil and owners Paul and Zillah Reddam reasons to start Electric Eddie in Saturday’s $250,000 California Cup Derby at Santa Anita. The California Cup Derby is run over 1 1/16 miles as part of a Sunshine Millions stakes day for statebreds. The California Cup Derby has been a goal with Electric Eddie for months.

“It’s not an easy race,” Cecil said. “The only advantage we have is that it’s on dirt. He’s proven on dirt. Tamarando and California Chrome are questions, but they are nice horses.”

California Chrome won the King Glorious Stakes for California-breds over seven furlongs at Betfair Hollywood Park on Dec. 22 for his second stakes win. Tamarando won the Real Quiet Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Hollywood Park on Nov. 23 and was third in the $750,000 CashCall Futurity on Dec. 14. Those races were against open company.

This is the first year for the California Cup Derby, part of the year-long Golden State series of stakes for California-breds throughout the state.

The California Cup Derby is one of six stakes for California-breds on Saturday. The other races are the $250,000 California Cup Turf Classic over 1 1/8 miles on turf, the $200,000 California Cup Oaks for 3-year-old fillies over a mile on turf, and two $125,000 sprints – the California Cup over six furlongs on dirt and the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint on the hillside turf course.

The lone stakes for open company Saturday is the $200,000 Santa Monica, a Grade 2 sprint for fillies and mares over seven furlongs.

Baze riding well upon return

Jockey Tyler Baze is on the verge of cracking the top 10 in the rider standings at the current meeting, less than three weeks after returning from an alcohol-related suspension.

Through Friday, Baze had 4 wins from 47 mounts since returning to riding Jan. 1, ranking in a tie for 11th in the standings. On Friday, Baze won an $8,000 claimer on Acute.

“I’m just getting going,” he said Friday. “It’s been fun. Things are going the right way.”

Baze was suspended last June and reinstated by track stewards in December after fulfilling the requirements for a comeback. So far, Baze’s wins have come in claiming races or optional claimers. Baze’s best finish in a stakes was a second on Majestic Harbor in the San Pasqual Stakes on Jan. 11.

On Monday, Baze has five mounts on a nine-race program, including Rockin Home in the $75,000 San Pedro Stakes. One of Baze’s mounts is on the also-eligible list in the ninth race.

◗ Top Fortitude, a late scratch from the Sham Stakes on Jan. 11, will resume training this week after undergoing a battery of precautionary tests, trainer Kory Owens said. Owens said Top Fortitude might have kicked a wall while walking on an automatic walker, aggravating a foot in the process. Top Fortitude won his debut at Hollywood Park in November in a sprint for maidens.