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| BOB JOHNSON sends out Myra's Hi Ho in Saturday night's Cal Expo feature. |
The 5-year-old son of Hi Ho Silverheels who is owned by Bob Johnson, Hank Wieseneck and Marty Garey with Bob Johnson training and Jim Lackey once again at the controls. Taking him on are Shamderock, who suffered his first California stakes setback last week; Johnson stable-mate Ivegotwhatuneed; the hard-knocking mare Haggin Oaks and the class-climbing Cascata.
Myra’s Hi Ho was 11-1 when he gamely outfought Haggin Oaks by a head on October 22 in a lifetime best 1:54.4 tour, then did the track-and-attack to perfection for Lackey over a sloppy track to win going away at next asking as a 7-1 shot. Sent off at 5-1 for his most recent try two weeks ago, Myra’s Hi Ho was hard used to the lead, staved off a strong challenge on the final bend and prevailed by a length.
Shamderock is another Hi Ho Silverheels offspring who is owned and was bred by D&E Racing Inc., with Luke Plano driving and training. Going into last week’s Sire Stakes, he had accounted for all 10 added-money gatherings for his division, but saw the streak come to an end when Live A Little rolled by in the stretch. He has won 13 of 30 starts on the season with a 1:52 mark that was established this summer at Vernon Downs.
Ivegotwhatuneed gives the Johnson barn two looks at the outcome with Lemoyne Svensden at the controls. His most recent score came at this level on October 8 and he has had to settle for minor awards in the interim. His career bankroll stands at $284,000 with a 1:52 standard that was set two years ago.
Haggin Oaks is the lone mare in the line-up for owners Shari Burns, Ferris Funk and Gerald Cimini, while James Kennedy reins and trains. Cascata steps up in company after capturing three of his last four starts and has the one-hole. Owen Eiler Jr. and Jennifer Petrelli own, Frank Petrelli trains and Steve Wiseman will be in his usual spot in the sulky.
Live racing resumes at Cal Expo on Thursday (December 1) at 5:30 p.m. (PST) and continues on Friday (December 2) & Saturday (December 3) at 6:00 p.m. On Thursday and every live card, Cal Expo offers free admission, as well as free preferred & general parking after 4:30 p.m. Also on Thursday night from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Cal Expo offers a complete Lasagna dinner, which includes salad and bread, for just $3.00. Additionally on Thursday, beer & wine can be purchased for $3.00 each as well.
The Thursday program (December 1) at Cal Expo will feature an Early Pick 4 with a $4,588 carryover that will lead into a $20,000 guaranteed gross pool (in partnership with the USTA Strategic Wagering Committee), while the Late Pick 4 will come with a $10,000 guaranteed gross pool. The Early Pick 4 covers the second through fifth races on the card, while the second sequence encompasses the sixth through ninth events on the evening.
In addition, every Pick 4 at Cal Expo now comes with a reduced 15 percent takeout (Thursday/Friday nights in partnership with the USTA Strategic Wagering Committee). In addition, all Late Pick 4’s will come with a $10,000-guaranteed pool. On Saturday night, there will be a 0% takeout on successful Late Pick 4 tickets made at Cal Expo or at Twinspires.com.
