By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Its a Horse is having a solid
meet for owner Ray Alan Miller, trainer Marco Rios and regular pilot Gerry
Longo, including three straight wins in the Open Trot to start off the year.
The 6-year-old was purchased
late last season by Miller and sent to Rios, who has done a terrific job
getting the trotter to settle early and save his best for last with Longo in
the sulky.
“Mr. Harris sent him to me at
the start of the meet and my first impression was that he was a very nice
horse,” Rios informed. “He does everything right in the morning and has that
real nice late kick in his races.”
Marco watched some of Its a
Horse’s races at Northfield Park to get acquainted with the performer prior to
his first California start and noted that his best efforts seemed to come when
he was allowed to relax early and then come home in a hurry.
“That’s what we’ve been
working on with him in his training and Gerry has been doing a great job
getting him to relax early in his races and finish strongly.
“Of course, when you have a
style like that sometimes the way the race shapes up is going work against you,
but there is nothing you can do about that.”
Rios knows a thing or two
about training a top trotter, having conditioned the outstanding sidewheeler El
Azteca. “He’s still at the top of my list, but Its a Horse is getting there
quickly,” he noted.
Silverlode has top
billing in Open Trot
Silverlode, fresh from
back-to-back victories at the head of the class, looks to keep the momentum
going in Saturday night’s featured $6,500 Open Trot.
Watch and Wager LLC will
present 11 races with things getting underway at 6:10 p.m. and the main event
is scheduled as the fifth contest on the evening.
As a result of her recent
triumphs, Silverlode will be asked to do her work from the demanding No. 10
post position in the field of six with Steve Wiseman at the controls.
Silverlode competes for
owners Medinah Racing and Kathie Plested with Plested doing the training. She
set a new North American record on a mile track two back in the Joe Lighthill
Trot when she covered the extended distance of a mile and a half in 2:57 2/5.
Sent off the even-money
choice in the most recent top dance for the trotting set two weeks ago,
Silverlode made what proved to be the winning move at the half and romped home
by five and three-quarter lengths over a track labelled good.
Taking her on this weekend,
from the rail out; Majestic Lady Jo with Nate Sobey; Franks Best, Mooney
Svendsen; One Chief with Luke Plano; Windsun Galaxe, Dean Magee; and Its a
Horse, who will have the services of Gerry Longo.
Bettor Lady should have a big
say in the co-featured Open II Distaff Pace with James Kennedy guiding. She has
turned in four straight strong miles here for owners Richard Morita and David
Yamada and trainer Lino Pacheco, as she was up in the final stride to hang a
nose decision on Capitol Hill in the February 23 Open, then has completed the
exacta in the last two meetings at the top rung.
