Sponsored by: Trainer David Hofmans It's been a few years since 77-year-old trainer David Hofmans has had a nice young horse in his barn, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten how to handle one. Big Fish, a 3-year-old California-bred by Mr. Big, was already a stakes winner on the turf before entering the starting gate in last Saturday's $200,000 California Cup Derby, a 1 1/16 mile contest on the dirt course at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Despite a challenging trip, the colt pulled off a 1 1/2-length victory with ease. “I thought he preferred the turf, but since he was a Cal-bred we thought we'd take advantage of that,” Hofmans said after the race. “He breezed well over (the dirt), the other day with Juan (Hernandez) and seemed to get over it well. He's just maturing. This horse is just now coming into himself. I think we have a better future going forward.