Pancetta returns seeking more Cal Expo gold
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
After
closing out his 2014 campaign in style at Yonkers, Pancetta has returned to
California for trainer Lino Pacheco and will make his seasonal debut in
Saturday’s featured Open Pace.
The
6-year-old son of No Pan Intended races for Richard Morita and David Yamada and
will be guided by Luke Plano, who has gone many a winning mile with the pacer.
A 1:51 1/5 winner at Pocono Downs two years ago, a first-place check on
Saturday would put Pancetta at the $400,000 earnings plateau.
“He
got back here in early November and everything has been on schedule,” Pacheco
related. “He had an easy qualifier with Jen (Sabot), then picked it up nicely
in last week’s qualifier with Luke, who said he was very sharp.”
Pancetta’s
most recent victory came in mid-October over the half-mile Yonkers oval,
getting the job done from the difficult No. 7 post while racing against some of
the best pacers on the grounds. “He can go from anywhere and do anything you
ask,” Pacheco noted.
“That’s
one of the things that makes him such a tough horse. He’s small, but he’s got a
very big heart and he’s one of the best we’ve ever had at the barn.”
Pancetta
will leave from the rail Saturday night while taking on a pretty tough group,
including the streaking A Real Miracle, and will be spotting his rivals the
edge when it comes to recent activity.
When
asked for a prediction, Pacheco was very diplomatic. “Let’s let the horse speak
for himself,” he said. Duly noted.
Open Pace
brings out A Real Miracle
A
Real Miracle, who has posed for pictures following four of his last five
appearances; gets top billing in Saturday night’s featured Open Pace at Cal
Expo.
There
will be 10 races with a first post of 6:40 p.m. The headliner is set to go as
the third event on the card with A Real Miracle squaring off against Pancetta,
China King, Windsong Jack J C Onthebeach.
A
Real Miracle is a 5-year-old homebred son of Real Desire out of the
Givemewhatineed mare I Need A Miracle who races for Junior Wilkinson, Billie
Schwartz and Ivan Axelrod with Wilkinson the conditioner and James Kennedy in
the sulky.
The
razor-sharp performer comes into this assignment eyeing his fourth straight
trip to the winner’s circle, the first two with Luke Plano and most recently
with Kennedy at the helm.
In
his most recent outing at the head of the class, A Real Miracle sat last in the
compact field for a half, rallied second-over on the final bend and then
ignited when the question was asked to be up a neck over favored Windsong Jack
while lowering his mark to 1:51 2/5 in the process.
Windsong
Jack is a 5-year-old son of Santanna Blue Chip who was making his first start
of the year in that February 14 affair and lost a heartbreaker after carving
out all the fractions. Gene Vallandingham trains for Little Bapa LLC with Chip
Lackey handling the lines.
*********
This
week finds the trotters and pacers in action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
nights, February 20-22.
