Tamarando to start in California Cup Derby

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Arcadia, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Tamarando, third to Eclipse Award winner Shared Belief in the CashCall Futurity, headlines a field of 11 3-year-olds for Saturday's $250,000 California Cup Derby at Santa Anita.

Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Tamarando will start Saturday's 1 1/16-mile stakes from post 4 with Rafael Bejarano riding. This will be the third time Bejarano will be aboard the colt.

Tamarando and Bejarano won the Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood Park on Nov. 23 and three weeks later at 8-1 finished third behind Shared Belief in the CashCall at Hollywood.

Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Larry Williams, the colt has not been worse than fourth in eight career starts and comes into the Cal Cup Derby with three wins and $455,120.

King Glorious Stakes winner California Chrome will break from post 7 with Victor Espinoza in the saddle. Trained by Art Sherman, California Chrome drew away down the stretch to win the King Glorious by 6 1/4 lengths in Hollywood Park's final stakes.

California Chrome, owned by Steven Coburn and Perry Martin, has won three of seven starts for $214,850.

Life Is a Joy, runner-up in the King Glorious, has drawn post 2 with Corey Nakatani returning to ride the chestnut gelding. The 3-year-old is also trained by Hollendorfer who co-owns.

Life Is a Joy will be making his fifth straight start in a stakes which includes winning the Charlie Palmer Futurity at Fresno last October. The gelding has banked $131,330 with wins in half of his six starts.

Here is the field for the Cal Cup Derby in post position order: Oh Billy Billy, Martin Garcia; Life Is a Joy, Corey Nakatani; Public Policy, Mike Smith; Tamarando, Rafael Bejarano; Lucky Views, Kent Desormeaux; Aotearoa, Gary Stevens; California Chrome, Victor Espinoza; Awesome Return, Joe Talamo; Lawly's Goal, Tyler Baze; Electric Eddie, Mario Gutierrez and Better Bet, Martin Pedroza.

Post-time for the Cal Cup Derby will be approximately 7:30 p.m. (ET).