By
Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Tabbat
Mcrey, who came from out of the clouds to record her first Cal Expo victory
last week, gets the top billing in Saturday night’s $8,500 Funicello/Holt Final
for pacing fillies and mares.
Watch
and Wager LLC will present 12 races Saturday with first post at 6:10. The
co-features will be a $7,200 Open Pace featuring the streaking
Allmyx’sliventexas and two divisions of the Alan Horowitz Eliminations.
Getting
back to the Funicello/Holt, Tabbat Mcrey is a 5-year-old daughter of McArdie
who goes about her business for owner David Watson and is reined and trained by
Rene Goulet. After closing for the place spot in her local debut two weeks ago,
the long-fused came back to get the job done by two lengths in last week’s Prep
for this event at 7-1 odds.
Lakota
Law completed the exacta in that affair and will be looking to turn the tables
this weekend for owner Peter Jesh and driver/trainer Nick Roland. She was a
1:54 3/5 victress last season at Hoosier Park and fits very nicely with this
group.
Casey
N Grinegan had to settle for a fourth-place finish as the 3-2 choice last week
after being parked first-over to the lead in the stretch. Darryl Cutting
conditions the Alberta-bred miss for Melinda Smith and Steve Wiseman will be at
the helm.
Completing
the field are LLuli, Palmona Ruiz, That’s How It Goes, Nightgirl, June Morning
and Brooklyn Moonshine.
***
Saturday
night’s third race is named for the Orangutan Foundation International.
Nick
Roland hoping to lay down the Law
Nick
Roland is making his presence felt here as both a driver and trainer with
another California invasion, with his most immediate concern being Lakota Law
in Saturday night’s Funicello/Holt Final.
The
5-year-old mare, who carries the banner of Peter Jesh, spent her summer at
Running Aces and was runner-up behind Tabbat Mcrey in last week’s Prep. She
will be looking to turn the tables with conditioner Roland guiding from middle
of the nine-horse line-up.
“She’s
getting better,” her mentor noted. “She had some soundness issues when she
first got her, but we’ve been able to work on those and she’s improving.”
Nick
arrived with 16 racehorses and two babies, and is expecting six or seven more
youngsters to join the barn shortly. He tips that some of the better performers
are set to turn up in the entries, including the trotter Scramble Camp, who was
scheduled to suit up on Friday night.
In
the meantime, Roland enjoys getting involved in the evening frays and is always
open to catch drives. “It’s always nice to have people put you up behind their
horses. When the weather is nice, I certainly don’t mind being out there every
race. On the other hand, when it’s colt and rainy, I have no problem sitting
out some races.”
Nick
hopes to stay here for most of the meet, which runs through April, with one
caveat. “If the weather back home turns nice sooner rather than later, that
could mean we leave a few weeks earlier than planned.”
In
the meantime, look for Nick Roland to make his share of appearances in the Cal
Expo winner’s circle.
