By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Ponda’s Prospect, fresh from
a smashing coast-to-coast score at the top rung, and the classy
Allmyx’sliventexas get another chance to settle the score in Saturday night’s
co-featured $7,200 Open Pace.
The outstanding program will
also see track record holder Pridecrest and Silverhill Volo squaring off the in
the $7,400 Open Trot, while Velocity McSweets set her sights on a third
straight victory in the $7,200 Filly and Mare Open Pace.
A 7-year-old son of
Shadyshank Hanover, Ponda’s Prospect Dandy Farms Racing, Kouchis and Leonard
with Luke Plano reining and training.
Nick Roland has been in the
sulky for the last two outings for the Plano trainee, crushing a softer group two
weeks ago as the odds-on choice and then coming back last time to put a similar
beat on the best pacers on the grounds.
Sent off the 3-1 second
choice in that affair, Ponda’s Prospect took immediate control of the contest,
carved out the fractions without challenge and came home in :27 2/5 to seal the
deal in a 1:52 2/5 tour that saw him prevailing by four and a half lengths.
Allmyx’sliventexas will be
gunning for some revenge after suffering his first loss in six appearances at
this meeting while being parked the mile from his outside post and paying the
price in the lane.
The 8-year-old Hi Ho
Silverheel’s homebred carries the banner of Wayne and Rod Knittel with Bob
Johnson the conditioner and Jacob Cutting will handle the lines from the
outside post in the field of seven.
Allmyx’sliventexas kicked off
this meet with five straight trips to the winner’s circle, including a
clear-cut victory in the December 11 Dave Goldschmidt Pace. In three of those
scores, he was leaving from the demanding No. 10 post position.
Cordarius Stewart
frequent visitor to circle
Cordarius Stewart is one of
the new names on the program here and has made a nice impression with his
drives, including back-to-back victories behind Velocity McSweets at the head
of the filly and mare pacing ranks.
The 26-year-old explained
that he actually drove his first winner at the tender age of 13 at the fair
tracks in his native Mississippi.
“You could say I was born
into the sport through my father,” Stewart related. “There was a point where I
would go to school and then head to the track to train and drive my horses.”
Cordarius Stewart frequent
visitor to circle
Cordarius eventually worked
his way to Chicago when he was 19, recording his first recognized win when he
guided Chili Beach to victory at Balmoral Park. “I’ll never forget that night, because
it was 5 degrees.”
Stewart was actually away
from the sport from 2013 until 2017, when he returned to action on the Illinois
circuit. He was competing at Hawthorne this winter when racing secretary Robin
Schadt suggested he give California a try.
“I made the trip out here in
my car not knowing what to expect, but it’s worked out pretty well so far and I
plan to stay through the end of the meet and then go back to Hawthorne, which
opens in early May.”
Stewart has been teaming
extremely well with the classy mare Velocity McSweets, who has roared from
behind to account for the last two Distaff Opens. “If you look, you’ll see I
actually win most of my races from the off the pace, so I love driving this
mare.”
