Cal Cup features a mare to smile about

Cal Cup features a mare to smile about

ARCADIA — The California Cup, Santa Anita’s multi-race winter showcase for state-breds, is made for horses like Grand Slam Smile and trainers like Sean McCarthy. That makes it a good thing. Grand Slam Smile, a super-consistent 5-year-old mare, looms as the star of the Cal Cup on Saturday, when she runs with jockey William Antongeorgi III in the $125,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint on the downhill course. McCarthy, an affable 63-ye…

Santa Anita’s Cal Cup Draws Best of California-Breds

The California Cup at Santa Anita Park debuted in 1990 as a “World Series” for horses bred in the Golden State. The event features a series of stakes races – five on Saturday – with the California Cup Derby for 3-year-olds serving as its centerpiece. Cal Cup History and Origin The first California Cup took place in 1990 at Santa Anita. The first winner of the California Cup Classic – since moved to the fall as a stand-alone event – was My Sonny …