By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Princessofthedawn,
who has rattled off three straight wins at this meet in impressive fashion,
looks to keep it rolling in Monday night’s $13,500 Funicello/Holt Final for the
pacing fillies and mares.
Watch
and Wager will present a 14-race card Monday with first post set for 4:55 p.m.
and the program will also feature the second leg of the Alan Horowitz and an
Open II Pace.
Princessofthedawn
is a 3-year-old daughter of Mystician who is owned by Rick Cisco and Tamara
Wainscott, takes her lessons from Cisco and will once again have Rene Goulet in
the sulk.
They
will be leaving from the seven post in the field of eight.
The
bay miss was winless in 10 starts when she came down from Canada for this meet,
but has done nothing but win in a trio of appearances here. She started the hat
trick with a track-and-attack graduation on November 25, then used
coast-to-coast tactics in her December 9 score.
Sent
off the 6-5 choice in last week’s Funicello/Holt Prep, she was unhurried early
for Goulet, was out to make her move on the final bend and finished up in :27
4/5 to seal the deal by a length and three-quarters.
Taking
her on Monday are Sassy Libby, Ain’t She Special, Cenalta Flash, Say It All
Sport, Bluebird Affection, In A Daze and Bekkums Fancy Star
Daryl
Thiessen making himself right at home
Daryl
Thiessen is one of the new additions to the driver’s room here and so far, so
good according to the 32-year-old Manitoba native.
Daryl
spent almost 10 years as a rodeo professional before finding himself attracted
to the trotters and pacers and switching from the saddle to the sulky four
years ago in Ontario.
The
last year and a half have been a testing one for Thiessen, beginning with a
serious accident in May of last year at Century Downs in Alberta that took him
out of action for two months.
He’s
also had three different surgeries in the last year which have forced him to
stop and go when it comes to competing.
“I
drove in Florida last year and spent this summer in New Jersey, and I was
looking for a mile track with a lighter schedule,” Daryl explained. “Cal Expo
checked both those boxes.”
“I
was actually here for two and a half months in 2018 working as a groom. I’ve
known Ryan Grundy since we were kids, I grew up pretty close to Kelly Crump and
I’ve become good friends with Kathie Plested.”
Thiessen,
who has had his picture taken after 6 of his first 41 drives at the meet, plans
to stay through the end of this session in April. “I was a little rusty when I
first got here, but everything seems to be coming together now,” he related.
