Kissed The Boys: What’s
in a name?
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Kissed The Boys picked up her
first trophy Sunday night for Steve and Vicki Desomer, splashing home by a
length and three-quarters over heavily-favored My Little Susie in the third
round of Sire Stakes action for the 3-year-old trotters.
The Claudius Augustus
homebred kicked off her career with two sharp victories in January, but had
pretty much been her own worst enemy in the ensuing four appearances before
relocating the charmed enclosure last weekend and earning a red blanket
in the process.
“I was happy she was able to
get away from the gate well,” Steve related. “She needs a lot of schooling, but
her timing was good. Once she comes away from there she’s pretty reliable. She
has a lot of tenacity, especially on an off track.”
As far as the name goes,
Vickie explained that her mother used to like to recite the little ditty about
Georgie Porgy, and it’s a play on the part about him “Kissing the girls and
making them cry”.
For the record, Kissed The
Boy’s win last Sunday saw her making three fillies cry along with one colt. She
is now three-for-three when the track is something other than fast.
There was another
interestingly-named performers who had his picture on Sunday, as Flameon
prevailed in the Stan Bergstein Trot, taking full advantage of a break by 1-2
favorite Northern Stormont.
Fans of the Marvel Comics
superhero The Human Torch will recall that when Johnny Storm is ready to turn
into the Torch, he shouts “Flame On!” That’s exactly what the equine version
did in the slop last weekend with Chip Lackey taking him coast-to-coast.
Hi Ho Houdini, Full
Moon Rising clash
Hi Ho Houdini, who has
rattled off four straight victories, including two Sire Stakes and the Marvin
Shapiro Pace, takes on last week’s winner at this level Full Moon Rising in
Sunday evening’s feature.
There will be 12 races
presented and the action starts at 5:05 p.m. The $3,800 headliner goes as the
fifth event with a field of eight set to face starter Kenny Fowler.
Hi Ho Houdini is a 4-year-old
son of Hi Ho Silverheel’s from the Park Place mare Holls Park who races for
Lujuanna Lopez, takes his lessons from Gordie Graham and will once again have
the driving services of Luke Plano.
A winner of seven of his
eight lifetime appearances, Hi Ho Houdini was last seen two weeks ago proving a
punctual 2-5 favorite in Sire Stakes company. Racing over a sloppy track, He
did the track-and-attack to perfection for Plano and prevailed by two and
three-quarters lengths over Uringoodhands that night.
Full Moon Rising looms the
main rival for owners Rick and Marlene Thomas, trainer George Reider and pilot
David Siegel. The 5-year-old son of Little Steven has posed for pictures following
three of his last four trips to the post, including a solid score under these
conditions last weekend over an off track.
A reminder there are two
wagers offered here each night that come with a reduced 16 percent takeout
rate. They are the 50-cent Pick 5, which features a 25 percent minor pool
payout; and the 20-cent Pick 4, which comes with a $40,000-guaranteed pool on
Saturdays and a $25,000 guarantee on Sundays.
******
Next week will find the
trotters and pacers in action on Friday and Saturday, March 19 and 20, with no
live racing on Easter Sunday, March 21.
