By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
When the Open Trotters last
got together a couple of weeks ago for a mile and one-half tour, it was
Mandeville and veteran Gerry Longo who got the cheese at 9-1 that evening.
It was the first local score
for the 8-year-ol Mandeville after making some menacing noises at the head of
the class, including a tough trip in the Joe Lighthill Trot in his previous
outing.
“I bought him in Kentucky
late last year after he won back-to-back Opens at that new track,” Longo
related.
“When I first got him, his
feet were in pretty bad shape and he was racing with glue-on shoes. Between
myself, the blacksmith Louie and my groom Oscar, we did lots of work on him and
his foot finally grew out.”
In that last Open here on
January 3, Mandeville made a brush to the lead midway and was then covered up
by favored Its A Horse. Longo tracked that rival to the drive and then got the
response he wanted when Mandeville motored by for the length decision.
“As far as the mile and a
half goes, everybody is in the same boat so that wasn’t really a factor,” Gerry
said. “This horse is coming around now and it looks like we might have some fun
with him.”
***
Saturday night’s third race
is named for longtime horseman and former racing official Jack Williams. Happy
90th birthday, Jack!
.
Contentious distaff
Pace has the spotlight
A wide-open $6,200 Filly and
Mare Open II Pace heads the Saturday night program with a full field of 10 set
to face the starter.
Watch and Wager LLC will
present 12 races with the action getting underway at 6:10 p.m.
There are several ways to go
in the main event, with trainer Kathie Plested appearing to hold a strong hand
with Dancingonthesand and Capitol Hill representing the shedrow.
The former is a long-fused
daughter of A Rocknroll Dance who is owned by Alan Cooper and will have Mooney
Svendsen doing the honors, while Capitol Hill is owned by the trainer and
George McChrystal and has Steve Wiseman giving directions.
Dancingonthesand comes into
this assignment with 14 wins from her 57 appearances and established her 1:53
mark over this track last season. She should be coming strong at the end and
will appreciate getting away from Brighten Your Life, who has won three
straight at the head of the distaff pacing class.
Capitol Hill has over
$136,000 in her bank account and a 1:53 2/5 standard as she eyes the 25th
snapshot of her career. She should be able to drop into a good stalking position
this weekend and is always dangerous with her best mile.
Taking on the Plested duo are
Shock N Awe, Virgin Eyes, Royal Mistress, Exsqueezeme, Brian’s Magic Girl,
Marilyn, Hi Fidelity and Alwaysalittlemore.
