By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
An Open Pace that rematches
Icy Blue Scooter and King Of The Crop; a Distaff Open Pace headed by Brighten
Your Life and the Marvin Shapiro Prep are the main attractions on Saturday
evening’s 11-race program. First post is 6:10 p.m.
Last week’s Open Pace saw an
upset, as King Of The Crop got the job done by a half-length over favored Icy
Blue Scooter, who was doing his work from the demanding No. 10 post.
Saturday’s assignment finds
King Of The Crop leaving from the No. 4 position in the field of five, while
Icy Blue Scooter has the outside post while moving in five slots from last
week’s appearance.
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 after returning from
Pennsylvania, the hard-hitting gelding put it all together last week and was up
in time.
King Of The Crop, who has
multiple Sire Stakes trophies on his mantle, pushed his career bankroll to the
$162,000 plateau and sports a 1:50 4/5 mark that was established two years ago.
Icy Blue Scooter had a
three-race win skein snapped when runner-up last week, but did have the
marooned post position and turned in another strong mile. Nathan Sobey drives,
trains and co-owns the 6-year-old with Diane Bertrand.
Icy Blue Scooter was
spectacular in his hat trick at the top rung between December 29 and January
12, getting the job from a close-up spot in the first of those scores and then
finishing strongly to seal the deal in the last pair.
Low takeout wagers,
added simulcasts featured
A pair of wagers that come
with a reduced 16 percent takeout rate and added simulcast action from Woodbine
Mohawk Park in Canada help spice the action here each night at Cal Expo.
Legislation that took effect
January 1 allows a full card of international harness simulcasting to
California patrons. The new law is applicable on nights of live racing only and
California fans can now look forward to action from Woodbine Mohawk Park every
Friday and Saturday evening.
The two wagers offered here each
night with the reduced 16 percent takeout rate are the 50-cent Pick 5, which
begins on the first race; and the 20-cent Pick 4.
The guaranteed pools for the
Pick 4 were recently raised, with a $30,000-guaranteed gross pool on Fridays
and a $40,000 guarantee on Saturdays.
In last Saturday night’s Pick
4, despite Fancy Little Girl winning the second leg at 4-5, the return was a
healthy $568 per winning ticket.
To give you some idea of the
added value, with the regular takeout the payoff would have been $507, a
difference of $61 for each 20-cent investment.
***
Saturday evening’s Marvin
Shapiro Prep is named for the son of L.K. Shapiro, who owned the Hall of Fame
thoroughbred and California-bred champion Native Diver. Marvin Shapiro was
president of Western Harness Racing Inc. in the 1960s and spearheaded
legislation that sanctioned night racing. He died in 2003 at the age of 83.
