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Thursday, February 12, 2015

Cal Expo Saturday Barn Notes

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.

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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.