Santa Anita on Krone’s Comeback Trail

There will be something different this year about the California Cup, which will be run for the 13th time Saturday at Santa Anita.

It isn’t the size of the fields. Plenty of California breds enter the 10 races and that’s true again in 2002. A total of 110 horses were entered Wednesday morning, topped by an overflow 17 in the $150,000 California Cup Distaff.

What is new is a certain jockey. Julie Krone, the winningest female rider in history with 3,545 victories and a member of racing’s Hall of Fame, will make her debut in the popular event on her second day back in the saddle.

Krone, 39, who announced almost two weeks ago that she was making a comeback, is scheduled for three races Saturday.

In the second, the $150,000 Matron at 1 1/16 miles, she will ride contender Cee’s Elegance for trainer Doug O’Neill, then is named on longshot First Draft for trainer Jack Van Berg in the $100,000 Distance Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on the turf. First Draft finished third in Wednesday’s seventh race, so it seems extremely unlikely she will run again Saturday.

Krone, who has been working horses regularly since July, then has first call on also-eligible Mabel Kent in the $150,000 Distaff at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf.

Her second call, Yes We Do, is in the body of the race. Both are trained by Ian Jory.

Krone will have a little warmup on Friday. She is named on first-time starter Justly Royal in the fifth, a 6 1/2-furlong turf race for 2-year-old maiden fillies.

A daughter of 1990 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Royal Academy, Justly Royal is owned by the T N T Stud and trained by Richard Mandella, a fellow Hall of Famer who hired her to work horses during the summer Del Mar meet.

“I already feel like I’m back because I’ve been working horses in the mornings and hustling and talking to people,” said Krone, who retired April 19, 1999, after winning three races at Lone Star Park that day. “After 20 years, you fall back into a groove.”

The richest event of Cal Cup Day, the $250,000 Classic at 1 1/8 miles, drew 10, headed by 3-1 morning line favorite Hot Market.

Bred and co-owned by John Harris and trained by Craig Lewis, the 4-year-old Cee’s Tizzy gelding has won five of 14 and three of seven at Santa Anita.

Second to Disturbingthepeace in the Pat O’Brien Handicap at Del Mar more than two months ago, Hot Market will be making his first start at the Classic distance.

Two of the entrants, Eric Da Bomb and Grey Memo, are holdovers from last year. A 5-year-old Flying Victor gelding, Eric Da Bomb finished fifth after setting the pace at 22-1 while Grey Memo, whose biggest victory came in the Godolphin Mile this year in Dubai, was sixth. Grey Memo, who will have a new rider in Alex Solis, is the 4-1 second choice on Jeff Tufts’ line.

From the inside out, here’s the rest of the Classic field: Groom On The Run, Earl Of Danby, Slippery When Bet, Bonus Pay Day, Calkins Road, Continental Red and Long Gone Con.

Bob Baffert, who leads all trainers with seven Cal Cup wins, doesn’t have a runner in the Classic, but he entered Martinblestme in the $125,000 Juvenile, Stormy Jack in the $150,000 Sprint and Servaline and Small Town Girl in the $125,000 Juvenile Fillies.