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.
