By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
If you’re keeping track,
that’s three straight wins at the head of the class for Its a Horse, including
the Joe Lighthill Trot two weeks ago.
Ray Alan Miller’s
colorbearer, who takes his lessons from Marco Rios and has been guided in each
of those scores by Dean Magee, had no trouble with the sloppy going in the
Lighthill and reported home with two and three-quarter lengths to spare that
evening.
“The owner bought this horse
last year and turned him out for sixth months, then I got him,” Rios related
when asked about the soon-to-be 7-year-old Ohio-bred. With his last tally, he
is closing in on the $100,000 earnings plateau.
Its a Horse likes to relax
early and save his best for last, although in his last two wins he made his
moves earlier than usual and actually had the lead by the time they hit the
stretch on both occasions.
“If you look at the races
going back to when he was at Northfield Park, he was racing on the lead, but we
were able to teach him a different style and it’s worked very well,” Marco
noted.
“As far as the sloppy track
last time, I was a little concerned, but he had trained so well all week I
still had a lot of confidence.”
Rios acknowledged that having
veteran Magee at the controls is a major plus. “He knows all about the flow of
the race, and if he feels he has to move early, he does it. The horse is very
sharp right now and it’s been very satisfying.”
Virgin Eyes seeking
encore in main event
Virgin Eyes, fresh from a
game win over a sloppy track two weeks ago, attempts a curtain call in Saturday
night’s $6,200 Filly and Mare Open II Pace.
The headliner will go as the
eighth of 12 races presented under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with first
post at 6:10 p.m.
A 4-year-old daughter of
Always A Virgin, Virgin Eyes has turned in two big efforts since arriving from
the East for owner Aleksandra Karl and Jacob Fox. In a needed local debut on
November 29 she rallied smartly for the place spot despite suffering poor
cover.
In her most recent assignment
over the wet going, Virgin Eyes brushed to the lead for Fox past the quarter,
withstood a strong challenge on the final turn and prevailed by a length as the
5-2 choice.
Marilyn was a strong
runner-up that evening after posting nice tallies versus softer competition in
her previous two appearances. Mark Anderson owns, Gordie Graham trains and
James Kennedy has the return assignment.
Dancingonthesand is a
long-fused mare who will certainly have her share of backers off her two solid
victories with this group last month. The Alan Cooper-owned, Kathie
Plested-trained disaffer has Mooney Svendsen guiding from the No. 7 slot in the
field of nine.
Completing the cast are Shock
N Awe, Capitol Hill, Magnifique, Brighten Your Life, Morgangetsherway and
Cenalta Glory.
