Kissed The Boys shows
her versatility
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
With her victory in last
week’s Sire Stakes, Kissed The Boys now has the distinction of being a stakes
winner on both the trot and the pace.
Kissed The Boys is a
4-year-old Desomer Stables homebred daughter of Claudius Augustus, who passed
away last month, out of the multiple stakes-winner and outstanding producer
Charlotte’s Web.
A Sire Stakes winner last
season while doing her work as a trotter, the bay miss has switched over the
pacing for her current campaign and got the job done in the first stakes dance
for that group with veteran Steve Desomer in the sulky.
“We’ve had trotters that were
bred to pace and pacers that were bred to trot,” Vickie explained, “but this is
the first time we’ve had a horse win stakes races on both gaits.
“Steve has always been
enthusiastic about Kissed The Boys. She has the same staying power as her
siblings, but has had some issues behind the gate. He felt that if she could
get away safely the other night, she would be competitive.”
Kissed The Boys just did that
and was able to get the job and earn another trophy in a race that did see her
rivals get in some trouble behind her at the head of the stretch.
Vickie noted that this was
the first pacer for Charlotte’s Web, who has been represented by stakes-winning
trotters Silverlode, Cadet and Placer. “Sadly, Charlotte failed to get in foal
to Claudius Augustus last year and she was bred to Ice Machine,” she added.
Open Trot, Sophomore
Sire Stakes on tap
A $6,000 Open Trot featuring
Silverlode and the first California Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old pacers
headline Saturday evening’s program at Cal Expo.
There will be 13 races with a
first post of 6:15 p.m. The Open Trot is scheduled as the third on the
card and the two California Sire Stakes will be non-betting contests prior to
the regular program.
Silverlode is an 8-year-old
homebred daughter of British Sterling who races for Team Desomer and will have
Luke Plano at the controls. She has captured three of the six Open Trots
decided at this meet, finishing second behind Flameon in the other three top
dances.
Taking her on this weekend
are barnmate Cadet, My Little Susie, Lodi Dorian Blues, Windsun Galaxe and
Franky Provolone.
Looking at the Sire Stakes for pacing colts, Army of One is a homebred son of Hi Ho Silverheel’s out of the Artsplace mare Aftermath who carries the banner and Wayne and Rod Knittel with Bob Johnson the conditioner and Mooney Svendsen in the sulky.
After getting a good
tightener in his January 14 unveiling here, the bay performer has come back
with two huge efforts. He earned his graduation papers on January 27 when he
sat a pocket trip for Svendsen and proved strongest in the stretch for a length
and a quarter score with a 1:57 3/5 clocking.
Wheeled back last weekend,
Army Of One hooked up with a sharp Indiana invader in Gorgeous For Real and
turned in another giant mile, missing by only a half-length to that 2-5
favorite in a sharp 1:54 3/5 tour of the Cal Expo oval.
