By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Lickcreek Speedway has
steadily picked up her game since arriving from Indiana and looms the one to
beat in Friday night’s Annette Funicello – Glen Holt Pace for owner Jennifer
Scarberry and driver/trainer James Kennedy.
The 3-year-old daughter of
Sand Shooter had been racing at Hoosier Park with mixed results while leaving
from some difficult posts, but seems to have found a nice home here at Cal
Expo.
“I got her at the beginning
of the meet from Jacob Fox,” Kennedy related when asked about the distaffer.
“She’d been making breaks and he told me I had to be careful with her on the
first turn.”
Lickcreek Speedway made a
miscue in her first start here on opening night, but has been on her best
behavior in the last two appearances, resulting a near-miss and then a solid
score as the favorite in last week’s Funicello Prep.
“I made some adjustments
after that first start here to her hobbles and her headgear and it’s been
working,” James said. “I was real happy with the way she finished in her second
start and it all came together last week.
“The plan was to let her
settle in on the first turn and then make a move down the backside. She ended
up getting parked first-over, but she was real strong and I never even had to
pull the earplugs or really ask her for her best.”
Lickcreek Speedway is one of
two performers Kennedy currently has under his care and he explains that’s
pretty much the way he likes it. “Both horses are owned by friends, and right
now I prefer to concentrate on the driving.”
Annette Funicello –
Glen Holt Pace on tap
Lickcreek Speedway, a game
first-over winner last week, heads the cast for Friday night’s featured $8,300
Annette Funicello – Glen Holt Pace for fillies and mares.
The main event on the 11-race
Watch and Wager LLC program will go as eighth event of the evening with first
post set for 6:15 p.m. There will also be an excellent supporting card with an
Open Pace, a Distaff Open Pace and an Open Trot.
Lickcreek Speedway is a
3-year-old Indiana-bred daughter of Sand Shooter who is owned by Jennifer
Scarberry and is reined-and-trained by James Kennedy. She has turned in two
solid efforts at this meeting from coming in from her home state.
Making her California debut
here on November 24, the bay miss came rolling late for Kennedy to miss by a
nose, then got her revenge in last weekend’s Funicello Prep when she came
first-over at the quarter and wore down pace-setting Dancer’s Fancy in the late
stages for a length score.
The latter is a Fancy
Schmansy mare who has also put in two very good miles at the session. She
carries the banner of Vikki Pfeilsticker with Rick Bertrand training and Mooney
Svendsen at the controls. She was a sharp winner in her first start and carved
out the fractions last week before getting overpowered on the line.
Completing the field are
Lookslikewemadeit, Nathan Sobey; Sing N Sandi, Dean Magee; That’s How It Goes,
Richard Schneider; Rosebud’s First, Steve Wiseman; Dancer’s Fancy, Mooney
Svendsen; Hot Dandy, Chip Lackey; and Glad to Meet Ya, Luke Plano.
The co-featured Open Pace
will find Dave Goldschmidt Memorial winner Allymyx’sliventexas seeking his
fourth straight win at the meet, while the Distaff Open finds barnmates Fancy
Little Girl and Totally Racy in the spotlight with Dougs Hobby Horse and
Silverhill Volo getting a rematch in the Open Trot.
