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Straight Up G Could Try Derby Trail After Cal Cup Derby

A lights-out winner of his last two starts, Jungle Racing LLC's homebred Straight Up G appears a standout versus five sophomores going a mile and one sixteenth in Saturday's $200,000 California Cup Derby at Santa Anita.

One of five California Cup Day races on a 10-race program, the Cal Cup Derby will be center stage as Straight Up G and his rivals attempt to follow in the footsteps of the Art Sherman-trained California Chrome, who used the 2014 Cal Cup Derby as a springboard to glory in the Santa Anita and Kentucky Derbies as well as the 2014 Preakness Stakes.

Like California Chrome, the Richard Baltas-trained Straight Up G, a bay colt by red hot sire Straight Fire, out of the Sky Mesa mare Gidget Girl, comes off a big win versus statebreds in the one mile King Glorious Stakes run at Los Alamitos on Dec. 12.

“He's doing everything really easily,” said Baltas on Friday morning. “Last time, he handled the two turns with no problem. He's still growing, he big, he's good looking and he's got a good mind. Hopefully he can get this done tomorrow and then maybe we can tackle open company. He's got size, he's got length. The other day, he went five eighths, I got him in 59 and four (fifths), they gave him a minute and one and he galloped out (six furlongs) in 1:13 and one. He did that all on his own, he was by himself.

“I think he wants to go farther. I really don't think he's a sprinter. He's got a lot of natural speed and he looks like a good, solid route horse. The sire's had nothing but runners, so we'll see how far this horse can go.”

Owned and bred by sports talk icon Jim Rome and his wife Janet's Jungle Racing, Straight Up G debuted as an even money favorite going 5 ½ furlongs here on Oct. 9, but finished a disappointing fourth. Subsequently off at 4-5 in a six furlong maiden special versus Cal-breds on Nov. 21 at Del Mar, he aired by 5 ¼ lengths, earning a lofty 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

Off at 2-1 in the King Glorious, he led throughout in a thoroughly dominant performance, winning by 3 ½ lengths over Finneus, who he will again face on Saturday while earning a 75 Beyer.

With Ricky Gonzalez back to ride for a third consecutive time, Straight Up G appears headed for the deep waters of the Kentucky Derby Trail should he replicate his performance in the King Glorious on Saturday.

Like California Chrome, Straight Up G has to be considered a bit “light” in terms of his maternal pedigree, as his first dam, the Sky Mesa mare Gidget Girl, who although she has produced a talented half sister to Straight Up G, the Baltas-trained Gidgetta (three wins from 11 starts, earnings of $154,309) was unraced and his second dam, Rome's Brazilian-bred Surfer Girl, finished her career 11-1-5-1, with her lone win coming in her native Brazil.

As for his sire, Straight Fire, he was a highly regarded juvenile who sold for $250,000 as a yearling and finished second as the 4-5 favorite in the 2016 Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. Subsequently third in Santa Anita's G1 FrontRunner Stakes, he retired with one win from four starts and earnings of $146,400.

With the Cal Cup Derby carded early as race three on Saturday, Straight Up G will hope to issue an emphatic keynote speech on a day dedicated to California-breds. Drawn in post position four and installed as the 4-5 morning line favorite by Line Maker Jon White, Straight Up G will no doubt have the attention of all those eyeing the Derby Trail.

The post Straight Up G Could Try Derby Trail After Cal Cup Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Rome Homebred Straight Up G Towers Over California Cup Derby Foes

A lights-out winner of his last two starts, Jungle Racing LLC's homebred Straight Up G appears a standout versus five sophomores going 1 1/16 miles in Saturday's $200,000 California Cup Derby at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Off at 2-1 in the King Glorious, he led throughout in a thoroughly dominant performance, winning by 3 ½ lengths over Finneus, who he will again face on Saturday while earning a 75 Beyer.

A gutty half length winner of the seven furlong Golden State Juvenile at Del Mar Nov. 5, Finneus, a California-bred colt by Stay Thirsty, was off as the 9-5 favorite in the King Glorious, but he could never threaten Straight Up G, finishing second by 3 ½ lengths. Well beaten three starts back in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes here on Oct. 1, Finneus, who will be ridden for the first time by John Velazquez, will be trying two turns for the third time. Devoid of early speed, his chances would be enhanced should there be a fast pace.

Bred by Terry Lovinger, trained by Walther Solis and owned by Lovingier, Mohammed Naseer Fasihuddin and Amanda Navarro, Finneus, who is out of the Ghostzapper mare My Fiona, is the leading money earner in the field with $266,366 from an overall mark of 7-2-3-1.

A sharp two length allowance winner going 5 ½ furlongs on synthetic Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields Dec. 31, the O. J. Jauregui-trained Highland Ghost will face statebred company and go two turns for the second time in what will be his eighth career start. Quick from the blocks, this chestnut colt by 2017 Santa Anita Handicap winner Shaman Ghost could prove bothersome early to Straight Up G.

With a solid last-out Beyer of 74 to his credit, Highland Ghost is owned by his breeder, Highland Yard, LLC and is 7-2-2-1 overall with earnings of $69,506.

THE $200,000 CAL CUP DERBY WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 3 of 10 Approximate post time 1 p.m. PT

Highland Ghost—Flavien Prat—124
Sippin N Kissin—Abel Cedillo—124
Fast Draw Munnings—Drayden Van Dyke–124
Finneus—John Velazquez—124
Straight Up G—Ricardo Gonzalez—124
Agador Spartacus—Tyler Baze–124

First post time for a 10-race card, which will include a total of five California-bred or sired stakes on California Cup Day, Saturday is at 12 noon. Admission gates will open at 10 a.m.

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Straight Up G Much The Best In King Glorious

A stretch to two turns proved no problem for Straight Up G as the Straight Fire colt scored a decisive gate-to-wire victory in the $102,000 King Glorious Stakes Sunday, the final day of the Winter meet at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Calif.

Under jockey Ricardo Gonzalez, Straight Up G, who is owned by breeder Jim Rome's Jungle Racing LLC, easily dispatched of early challengers Moose Mitchell and Thirsty Always to draw clear in the stretch and ultimately prevail by 3 ½ lengths in the race for 2-year-olds bred or sired in California.

Trained by Richard Baltas, who also trains the colt's half-sister Gidgetta, Straight Up G, who is out of the Sky Mesa mare Gidget Girl, completed the mile in 1:36.88 and returned $6.00, $4.20, and $3.00 as the 2-1 second choice in the field of nine. He's now won twice in three races and earned $105,660. His King Glorious win came three weeks after he graduated by 5 ½ lengths going six furlongs at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“This horse has a lot of natural speed,'' said Baltas. “I left it up to (Gonzalez). I told him just break well and go from there. He's always worked really, really well. He's a good horse and he's got a good mind.''

Gonzalez, who is now 2-for-2 on Straight Up G, said he very felt confident about how the race was going to turn out shortly after the start.

“He broke very sharp, and when we got to the first turn, he was moving his ears back and forth so I knew it was game over right there,'' he said. “I knew it was going to be a stroll in the park.''

Finneus, who defeated eventual Los Alamitos Futurity winner Slow Down Andy to win the Golden State Juvenile Nov. 5 at Del Mar, rallied for second as the 19-10 favorite. He paid $3.00 and $2.40 while finishing 1 ¾ lengths in front of 3-1 third choice Fast Draw Munnings. The show price on Fast Draw Munnings, who was a first-out maiden winner Sept. 17 at Los Alamitos, was $3.20.

Fowler Blue, Moose Mitchell, Divine Feminine, Socal Red, Thirsty Always, and So I'm Told completed the order of finish.

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First Winner for Straight Fire Lights Up the Tote

Let go at debut odds of 52-1, Fourteeneightyfour (Straight Fire) became the first winner for his freshman sire (by Dominus) with a surprisingly easy victory in Monday's third race from Delaware Park.

The California-bred, who was entered for, but ultimately withdrawn from last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale, was last away from the inside gate, but recovered to be within a couple of lengths in the opening quarter-mile, which was timed in a sharp :22 flat. Taken to the outside for the run around the turn, he launched an eye-catching bid to inhale the front-runners nearing the top of the stretch and widened in hand to take it by nine impressive lengths in good time.

Fourteeneightyfour is one of 28 reported foals for Straight Fire, who earned 'TDN Rising Star' honors when decimating a field of Del Mar maidens by 10 1/4 lengths at second asking while stopping the clock in 1:14.92 for the 6 1/2 furlongs. Campaigned by Jim Rome's Jungle Racing LLC, the Roth family's LNJ Foxwoods, Kimberly Nish's KMN Racing and others and trained by Keith Desormeaux, Straight Fire would go on to complete the exacta behind Klimt (Quality Road) in the 2016 GI Del Mar Futurity and was third to Gormley (Malibu Moon) in the GI FrontRunner S. in what would become his final career appearance.

Fourteeneightyfour is the fifth starter for Straight Fire. Each of his previous four runners has been placed.

The stakes-winning It's High Time was acquired by Straight Fire LLC for $12,000 not pregnant to Bayern at Keeneland November in 2017. She missed to Straight Fire for 2020, but produced a Florida-bred colt by Copper Bullet this year. This is the extended female family of GI Vosburgh S. winner Black Seventeen (Is It True).

3rd-Delaware, $40,150, Msw, 7-5, 2yo, 5f, :58.62, ft, 9 lengths.
FOURTEENEIGHTYFOUR (c, 2, Straight Fire–It's High Time {SW, $234,040}, by Gone Astray) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $22,800. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Valentin Jimenez; B-Straight Fire LLC (CA); T-Baltazar Galvan.

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