Little Cher Amio eyes another trophy
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Little
Cher Amio has been something of a challenge for trainer George Reider, but the
work is starting to pay off with Rick and Marlene Thomas’ Little Steven
homebred as she guns for her second stakes victory on Sunday evening.
The
bay miss took advantage of a couple of key scratches from the most recent
stakes clash on January 30 and scored a coast-to-coast score that evening with
James Kennedy guiding her through a 1:58 1/5 tour of Cal Expo.
“I
raced her mother, Beast Coast, who had a lot of heart and we are hoping for
that with her,” Reider informed. “She’s
also a full sister to Full Moon Rising. When she came to the barn as a
yearling, my assistant Kimberly Hines named her Lola and that’s what she goes
by at the barn.
“She
reminds me more of a thoroughbred than a standardbred. She’s tall with long
legs and very high-strung. She was a tough one to get to the races, but once
she made it I knew she was going to be ok.”
Reider
credits groom Juan Pacheco with doing a great job working with Little Cher
Amio. “She takes a lot of patience,” her mentor noted. “It’s going to be fun to
watch her race and see how much she can improve as she gets older and more
experienced.”
If
George is right and the Thomas homebred is only going to get better with age
and experience, she could be adding quite a few more trophies to the mantle
before her racing days are over.
*******
This
week and the next, the trotters and pacers will be in action on Friday,
Saturday and Sunday nights, Feb 13-15 and 20-22.
Sire Stakes,
Open Pace atop marquee
A
$10,000 California Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old pacing colts headed by Hi
Ho’s Little Rev and Uringoodhands; and an Open Pace that has lured a solid cast
share the spotlight Saturday evening at Cal Expo.
There
will be 10 races and first post is set at 6:40 p.m. The Sire Stakes is the
second event on the card and the Open Pace immediately follows in the
third-race slot.
Hi
Ho’s Little Rev is a 3-year-old son of Hi Ho Silverheel’s out of the Little
Steven mare Prettylittlerebel who is owned by Vanessa Gilliam, takes his
lessons from Bob Johnson and will once again have Mooney Svendsen giving
directions.
The
bay performer scored a dominating victory at second asking on January 4, then
was runner-up to Uringoodhands in the first stakes engagement for this group.
Hi Ho’s Little Rev was able to turn the tables in the most recent Sire Stakes
clash two weeks ago, as he carved out the fractions and then had enough left to
hold safe by a neck over the pocket-sitting Uringoodhands.
The
latter is by Kent’s On Nuke and the homebred carries the banner of Mark
Anderson with Gordie Graham the conditioner and James Kennedy in his usual spot
in the sulky.
He was a powerful winner of the first Sire Stakes for
the division on January 17 in a 1:57 1/5 performance, the just missed after
tracking his arch-rival in that last big-money gathering two weeks ago.
Completing
the field from the rail out are Sounion with Tim Maier at the controls; Lodi
Machette Man for Pierre Girard; Back Dor, who will have the services of Chip
Lackey; and Laissezmoipicoleer with Williams Hernandez in the sulky.
Looking
at the Open Pace, the well-regarded invader Windsong Jack and China King will
represent the Gene Vallandingham barn and be challenged by A Real Miracle, JC
Onthebeach and St Lads Lotto.
