Special Monday program
at Cal Expo
By Mark Ratzky, publicity –
Cal Expo Harness
Rockinaroundheaven, a
punctual favorite in her Cal Expo debut, looks to keep the momentum going in
Monday night’s feature for pacing fillies and mares.
Watch and Wager LLC will
present a 14-race card on Monday with first post at an earlier 4:45 p.m. The
headliner goes as the second contest on the evening.
In addition to this special
Monday program, this week will find the trotters and pacers in action on
Friday, December 30, and Sunday, January 1. The following week will see a
return to Friday and Saturday night cards.
Rockinaroundheaven is a
3-year-old daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven who carries the banner of Kenneth
Seastrom and is reined and trained by Chip Lackey. She comes into this
assignment having posed for pictures following three of her nine lifetime trips
to the post.
The bay sophomore began her
career in Chicago and set her 1:56 4/5 standard at Hawthorne in August. She
finished up her Midwest campaign with a pair of seconds and a third, narrowly
missing on each occasion.
After a nice tightener in a
qualifier here on December 9, the Seastrom colorbearer was ready for action
eight nights later, as she validated her 6-5 backing with a powerful move to
the lead on the final bend en route to a length and a half victory with Lackey.
Taking her on Monday, from
the rail out: Very Western, Listentotheheart, Chilma, Little Emma, Delightfully
Wild, Afaceinthecrowd, Yeswellnomaybe and Moonstone Beach.
Sweet One happy with
new surroundings
No need to ask Indiana
invader Sweet One if she enjoys California, as the pacing mare has two wins
from three starts since arriving at Cal Expo, including a victory in the Robert
Staats Final at most recent asking.
A 4-year-old daughter of Art
Major, Sweet One is owned and trained by Rick Cisco and has been handled in her
last two trips to the post by Mooney Svendsen. She lowered her lifetime mark to
1:56 2/5 with the Staats decision.
“I bought here through Chip
Lackey,” Cisco related. “She’s not very big and on the chunky side, but it
looks like she has heart and some ability. All three of her races here have
been solid.”
Sweet One closed out her
Indiana Downs campaign with a victory on November 11, then made her local debut
in a conditioned event here on December 3 and came from far back to prevail
with Steve Wiseman at the controls.
She was a game third in the
Robert Staats prep at next asking while doing her work from the demanding nine
post while joining forces with Svendsen, then did the track-and-attack to
perfection from the four slot and was up by a neck over favored The Bearded
Lady to account for the Staats Final.
“After Mooney drove her that
first time, he told me he was impressed because she was trying so hard the
entire way,” Cisco explained. “He gave her a perfect drive last time and she
responded.”
Interestingly, Cisco still
doesn’t know why Sweet One missed her entire 3-year-old campaign, but she’s
certainly finishing her 4-year-old season in style and he’s looking forward to
more photo sessions with the bay miss.
