Rios homebred continues to add to resume
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
El Azteca made a successful return to
the races last weekend, capturing the Open Trot for his owner/breeder/trainer
Marco Rios with James Kennedy at the helm, but there’s more to the story.
The 5-year-old trotting son of Panama
Hanover hadn’t seen evening action since June 5, when he won a conditioned
affair at Hoosier Park as the 4-5 choice while lowering his lifetime mark to
1:54 3/5 in the process.
“He came out of the race with an injury
and the vet told me there was only about a 20 percent chance he would make it
back to the races,” Rios related. “Three months later, when he checked him out
again, he was very surprised and told me it was about 95 percent that
everything would be fine.”
El Azteca is the pride and joy of the
Rios barn, with several Sire Stakes trophies on his mantle and earnings
approaching the $120,000 mark. From his last 24 starts, 14 have ended up with
smiles all around in the winner’s circle.
“I gave him a qualifier at Hoosier
(September 24) before we left,” Rios explained. “Then I trained him pretty hard
when we got here, which is why I didn’t put him in another qualifier. One thing
about this horse, he always gives you 100 percent.”
Kennedy was guiding El Azteca for the
first time from the outside slot in last week’s gathering for the top trotters
on the grounds and ignited when it counted in the stretch to hang a head
decision on another local favorite in Franks Best.
“James told me he drives just like a
Cadillac,” Rios said. His mentor added that plans call for El Azteca to stay
here through the meet, meaning fans and his Open Trot foes alike figure to see
quite a bit of this determined performer.
El Azteca gets top billing in headliner
El Azteca, who has posed for pictures
following 14 of his last 24 trips to the post for his owner/breeder/trainer
Marco Rios, heads the cast for Saturday night’s featured $5,000 Open II Trot at
Cal Expo.
A 15-race card is on tap with a first
post of 5:40 p.m. Racing will be conducted Saturday this week, expanding to
Saturday and Sunday programs beginning next week. Plans then call for a
three-night-a-week schedule starting on December 26 with Friday racing added to
the mix.
El Azteca is a 5-year-old son of Panama
Hanover out of the Jonathan Lobell mare Jonathan’s Girl who comes into this
weekend’s assignment with $118,000 in his bank account and a 1:54 3/5 mark that
was established on May 29 at Hoosier Park.
Making his first start since that
victory in last week’s Open over this layout with James Kennedy at the
controls, El Azteca did the track-and-attack to perfection and was up by a head
over Frank’s Best in a game performance.
Like El Azteca, Frank’s Best is also
owned and was bred by his trainer Bob Johnson and will once again have Mooney
Svendsen in the sulky. The 7-year-old son of Armbro Scribe is just shy of the
$200,000 earnings plateau and set his 1:56 2/5 career standard here two years
ago.
Sharpshootennorris has to be given a
long look after checking in second and third in the last two top dances for the
trotting set at this meeting. Steve Wiseman reins and trains the $472,000
earner for Bette Jean Calice and the 11-year-old sports a 1:54 lifetime mark on
his resume.
Rounding out the field, from the rail
out, are Silverlode with Steve Desomer guiding; Its Not Over and Chip Lackey;
Sharpshotennorris, to be handled by Steve Wiseman; and Silence Son, who has the
services of David Siegel.
