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Thursday, April 28, 2016

Cal Expo Saturday Barn Notes

Wineonefordoug wins one for Doug and Rick
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness

The 6-year-old pacer Winonefordoug turned in a game mile last weekend with Steve Wiseman to pick up his first snapshot of the season for Doug Flores and Rick Bertrand, with Bertrand the conditioner.

Flores and Bertrand also campaign the stakes-winning trotting mare Dougs Hobby Horse and have done very well with another trotter named Jailer, who has recorded some big miles over this layout.

“My partner Doug is from California and retired a few years ago from a hobby shop that was owned by he and his wife Lorraine,” related Bertrand. “He always enjoyed coming out to watch the races and some years ago asked if I wanted to go 50-50 on a horse.

“Now we’ve had our share, including one that we had the chance to rename Winonefordoug, and then Dougs Hobby Horse, which he bred.”

Dougs Hobby Horse is scheduled to do battle in Saturday’s second race, getting ready for next week’s Sire Stakes, while Winonefordoug turns up in the seventh race.

A reminder that there are two wagers offered here 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 $25,000-guaranteed gross pool on Saturdays and a $25,000 on Sundays.

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This is the penultimate week of harness racing at the spring meeting, with the curtain coming down next week with cards on Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and 8.

Allmyx’sliventexas, Moonstone Beach hold spotlight

A pair of $10,000 California Sire Stakes for 3-year-old pacers have center stage Saturday at Cal Expo, with stablemates Allmyx’sliventexas and Moonstone Beach looking to continue a clean sweep of the big-money events for their respective divisions.

An 11-race program is on tap under the banner of Watch and Wager LLC with first post set for 6:25 p.m. The Sire Stakes for the pacing colts goes as the third event on the evening, while the pacing filly stakes will be decided as a non-betting affair prior to the regular card.

Allymx’sliventexas and Moonstone Beach are both owned and were bred by Wayne and Rod Knittle with Bob Johnson the conditioner and Mooney Svendsen in his usual position in the sulky.

Allymx’sliventexas is a son of Hi Ho Silverheel’s out of the Distinguishedbaron mare Annie Get Your Gun. He comes into this assignment having posed for pictures following seven of his 11 starts, including a leg of the Lonnie Beck Series and all six Sire Stake for the pacing males.

In last week’s gathering, the Knittel colorbearer was sent off as the 1-9 favorite and had little trouble making every pole a winning one, coming a :27 3/5 final quarter to seal the deal by two and three-quarter lengths.

Completing the cast are Rock Of Ages with Mark Kennedy; One More Chance, Luke Plano; Mathachusetts, to be handled by Steve Wiseman; and Midnight Adventure, James Kennedy.

Moonstone Beach is likewise putting her perfect Sire Stakes record on the line as the daughter of Crisis Situation shoots for her eighth win from nine appearances. Little Emma, who missed by a half-length to her last week; and Plain Awesome will round out the field.