By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Im
Fasterthanyu, who celebrated her 10th birthday this week, has lived
up to her name in five of her last eight trips to the post while carrying the
banner of Fabiola Quevedo with Edwin Quevedo the conditioner and Luke Plano at
the controls.
Interestingly,
two of the three setbacks for the daughter of Cammibest came in starts where
Plano was unable to sit in the sulky behind the veteran mare. She registered
her most recent score two weeks ago when being re-united with Luke for the
first time since recording a four-race winning streak during the month of November.
Leaving
from the tough No. 9 slot in that assignment, Im Fasterthanu was hard used early to the pocket, tracked to
the lane then had the right answer when the question was asked and prevailed by
three-quarters of a length while lowering her mark to 1:54 4/5 in the process.
She was third in last week’s assignment after being hard-used on the front end.
“I
bought her this fall from Canada because I thought she would fit here,” Edwin
related. “She’s every easy to train and most of the time she acts more like
she’s 4 or 5 than a mare who is turning 10. She’s feeling very good right now.”
The
trainer was asked about the success his mare has had when she joins forces with
Plano. “He does seem to have the right touch with her. He told me when he drives
her, she seems to give her best.”
Im
Fasterthanu will suit up once again on Friday while doing her work from the
cozy rail post in the 11th and final event on the program. It will
be interesting to see if she can start off 2015 with a bang.
*****
There
are four wagers here each night that come with the reduced 16% takeout rate.
They are the 50-cent Pick 5; the Jackpot 6; the 20-cent Pick 4 and the 10-cent
Hi-Five on the nitecap.
Cenalta Power has top billing in
feature
Cenetla Power, an Open winner at the
meet for Ryan Grundy, gets some class relief and heads the field for Friday’s
main event at Cal Expo.
First post for the 11-race card is 6:40
p.m. and the headliner is set as the seventh event on the evening. A reminder
that racing is now being conducted under the Watch and Wager LLC banner on
Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
Cenalta Power is a 6-year-old Alberta-bred
son of Brandon’s Cowboy who is owned, trained and driven by Grundy. He has two
victories from five appearances since coming down from Canada, including an
11-1 upset in the November 15 Open.
The bay gelding sat a tracking trip in
that contest, ignited when the question was asked and was up by a half-length.
He added a conditioned victory two starts later on December 13, lowering his
lifetime mark to 1:52 4/5 with that nose decision.
Cenalta Power has returned to the Open
ranks for his last two outings, checking in fifth and fourth behind the
streaking St Lads Lotto in those appearances. He figures to appreciate getting
away from that rival and looms large in his cast as he leaves from the No. 5
slot.
Taking him on are Stable Eyes, Country
Jewel, Cowboy Cold, Rusty Skipp, Bubs Desire, Always Wanna, Alligator Falls,
Allamerican Solo and Phantom Dan. The first two mentioned pacers are entered
under filly-mare Open II conditions and were assigned the inside slots.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s card, a $10,000
California Sire Stakes headed by King Of The Crop and an Open Pace that brings
out the aforementioned St Lads Lotto are the featured attractions.
