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Thursday, February 7, 2019

Jenna Cornelison teaming well with veteran



By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness

Trainer Jenna Cornelison is certainly getting her name out there with the 12-year-old pacer Beckys Dreamboat, who has rattled off back-to-back victories for Dean Magee, including a 9-1 upset from the demanding 10 post last weekend.

Jenna owns Beckys Dreamboat in partnership with Tyler Gunderson and he is one of three performers in her care. A 33-year-old Sacramento native, Jenna has had a love of horses from as far back as she can remember and cut her teeth in the sport working for Gene Vallandingham.

“Gene had a pacer named Run Baby Run who I got as a riding horse and in 2005 I ended up going to work with him here at Cal Expo,” Cornelison explained. “In 2007 I went back East with Pete Foley and spent four years at Pocono.”

Jenna, the mother of two daughters age 5 and 8, was out of the game for a brief period, but returned in 2012 and eventually came back to California to once again work at the Vallandingham barn.

“I’ve had my license for some time, but it’s only in the last sixth months that I’ve been using it,” she related.

“I just love coming here each morning and having those three heads sticking out and waiting for me,” said Cornelison, who is always looking to add to the stable.

“The real satisfaction comes after putting in all that work, sometimes in the cold and the rain, and then watching them go out there and give everything they have in a race. It’s very rewarding.”

Sire Stakes, pair of Opens head program 

An Open Pace featuring King Of The Crop; an Open Trot that brings out Silverhill Volo, Silverlode and Its a Horse, and a trio of California Sire Stakes get the marquee treatment Friday night at Cal Expo.

There will be 11 races with first post set for 6:10 p.m. and two of the Sire Stakes will be decided as non-betting events prior to the regular card.

King Of The Crop is an 8-year-old son of Little Steven who carries the banner of Don and Barbara Arnstine, Steve Chambers and Kathie Plested with Plested training and Steve Wiseman at the controls.

After a pair of needed outings following a return from Pennsylvania, the hard-hitting gelding has recorded two solid victories at the head of the class. King Of The Crop, who has multiple Sire Stakes tallies, pushed his career bankroll to the $166,000 plateau and sports a 1:50 4/5 mark that was established two years ago.

Looking at the Open Trot, Silverhill Volo is an 8-year-old son of Muscle Hill who is owned, trained and driven by Chip Lackey. He comes into this assignment with $142,000 on his card and a 1:55 1/5 mark that was set four years ago.

After a string of four straight runner-up finishes, the Lackey colorbearer was a game winner of the most recent top dance for the division, coming first-over into favored Silverlode turning for home and coming away by two lengths over the sloppy going.

The latter is a 10-year-old British Sterling mare who has several Sire Stakes trophies on her mantle to go with $231,000 in earnings and a 1:54 3/5 standard. She was a handy winner in the Open II Trot on January 18 and was overhauled late in that last mile while doing the heavy lifting as the 4-5 favorite.