By Mark Ratzky, publicity- Cal Expo Harness
Luke Plano and Steve Wiseman
continued their domination at head of the driver standings last week, with each
pilot registering a four-bagger on the Friday program, while James Kennedy was
the driving star of the show last Saturday with four wins of his own.
Wiseman started things off
capturing the Friday opener with Chilma, then Plano countered by taking the
second with Winsom Kelly and the fourth with Hi Fidelity.
Not to be outdone, Steve
recorded back-to-back tallies with Ragin’s Flight and Totally Racy in the fifth
and sixth contests, with Luke and Oh Yeah evening the score in the seventh.
To complete their respective
four-win nights, Wiseman clicked with Kiss On The Lips and Plano ended up in
the winner’s circle with Eastender in the feature.
On Saturday’s program,
Wiseman registered a double and Plano has one winning drive while retaining his
margin in the standings over his arch-rival at this meet.
It was Kennedy who had the
starring role on this program, as his four wins included a victory with I’m An
Athlete in the Open Pace and Delightfully Wild in the Filly and Mare Open.
Sire
Stakes, Open II Pace atop marquee
A $6,500 California Sire
Stakes for the 3-year-old pacing fillies featuring Goturnumber and an Open II
Pace headed by Bettor’s Promise are the main events on Saturday night’s Cal
Expo program.
The 11-race card is set to
get underway at 6:10 p.m.
Goturnumber is a homebred
daughter of Kent’s On Nuke out of the Ira mare Kb’s Midnight who is owned by
Mark Anderson, hails from the Gordie Graham barn and will once again have James
Kennedy in the sulky.
The dark-hued filly has
proven clearly best in the last two stakes dances for the division, going
coast-to-coast on both occasions while never looking like a loser.
In the March 17 clash,
Goturnumber waltzed home with nearly 10 lengths on Brigitte Bordeaux in a
lifetime-best 1:57 mile, then showed the way home by two and three-quarter
lengths over that same rival at most recent asking.
Taking her on this weekend
are Brigitte Bordeaux with Mooney Svendsen; Glad To Meet Ya, Luke Plano;
Rhythm, to be guided by William Hernandez; and Lucky Seven Oflodi, who has the
outside slot with Tony Succarotte in the bike.
Looking at the co-featured
Open II Pace, Bettor’s Promise is coming off a solid runner-up effort to the
razor-sharp I’m An Athlete in last week’s Open Pace and should get plenty of
respect at the windows while getting away from that rival. Richard Morita and
David Yamada are the owners, Lino Pacheco trains and James Kennedy has the
assignment.
There are two wagers offered
here each night that come with a reduced 16 percent takeout rate – the 50-cent
Pick 5 and the 20-cent Pick 4.
The Pick 4 comes with a
$50,000-guaranteed gross pool on Saturdays and a $30,000 guarantee on Fridays.
