By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
The
$9,600 Robert Staats for pacing fillies and mares and a pair of Open II events
are the main attractions on Saturday night’s program at Cal Expo.
First
post for the 14-race card is 4:50 p.m. The Staats occupies the fourth race slot
on the evening, while the Open II Pace goes as the second and the Open II
Distaff Pace is the eighth on the program.
On
the wagering front, there is a $4,400 carryover in the 20-cent Hi Five on the
twelfth race with a $20,000-guaranteed gross pool. There are also three wagers
offered each night with a reduced 16 percent takeout rate – the 20-cent early
and late Pick 5 and the 20-cent Pick 4, with the latter featuring a
$25,000-guaranteed gross pool.
Looking
at the Open II Pace, Proof went a long mile last week in his California debut
and finished well back as the even-money favorite with stablemate
Allmyx’sliventexas taking the bow. With the race under his belt and a cleaner
trip, he could easily make amends this weekend.
Like
Allmyx’sliventexas, Proof races for Wayne and Rodney Knittel with Bob Johnson
conditioning and Nick Roland has the assignment. He is closing in on
$500,000 in earnings with a 1:48 1/5 career standard that was set two years ago
at Pocono Downs.
Following
a sensational qualifier here on December 11 in which he waltzed home with 17
lengths to spare in a 1:52 4/5 tour, Proof had the No. 9 slot in his first
start since early October and ended up hung the mile and tired.
Hoo
Nien A looms large for his owner/driver/trainer Gerry Longo and should
appreciate getting away from Allmyx’sliventexas for this go-around. The
dark-hued 9-year-old has $190,000 in his bank account and a 1:50 4/5 mark and
completed the exacta in last week’s Open while coming from last.
Delightfully
Wild Reaches new plateau
Hats
off to the 8-year-old pacing mare Delightfully Wild, who reached the $200,000
mark in earnings with her upset victory in last Sunday night’s opener.
The
daughter of Bettor’s Delight races for Richard Morita and David Yamada with
Jessie Pacheco the conditioner and Cordarius Stewart was in the sulky.
Stewart
guided Delightfully Wild more like the favorite than a 15-1 shot, brushing to
command at the half and taking complete control of the mile from that point,
reporting to the wire with three and a half-lengths to spare.
It
was the 36th lifetime snapshot for the mare, who sports a 1:51 1/5
lifetime standard that was established three years ago over the five-eighths
Pocono Downs oval.
“David
and I got Delightfully Wild out of the Delaware sale at the end of her
3-year-old campaign,” Morita related. “She showed some speed but was erratic
and definitely had a mind of her own.
“Lino
and Jessie (Pacheco) turned her into a nice race mare and she’s proven to be tough
on both the five-eighths and mile tracks, but I think her best game as
five-eighths if you look at her overall record at Running Aces and her lifetime
mark in Pennsylvania.
“We
look forward to racing her for another couple of years and then expect she will
make someone a special broodmare at some point. Those Bettor’s Delight mares
have been very good producers and seem to be in demand.
