By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Quentin Schneider sent out
last week’s two elimination heat winners and will now try to take down the
final of the $10,000 Donald Arnstine Pace with Ivar, Chase The Gold and Believe
In Dragons on Friday night at Cal Expo.
A nine-race card is on tap
with first post at 6:45 p.m. and the main event goes as the seventh on the
evening. There is also a $7,200 Open Trot headed by Pridecrest going as the
fourth contest on the program.
A reminder that Watch and
Wager LLC is now hosting the trotters and pacers on a Friday/Sunday basis.
Both Ivar and Chase The Gold
are owned by Qks Racing and were ably handled last week by James Jungquist, who
will go with the latter on Friday. Ivar captured his division as the 5-2 second
choice, while Chase The Gold lit up the toteboard at $27 in his end.
Ivar is a 4-year-old son of
Jk Royal Flush who has now won six of his 24 starts with a 1:54 3/5 mark that
was set this summer at Running Aces. He made every pole a winning one last
week, holding safe by a nose over Infinite Horizon in a 1:56 3/5 tour.
Chase The Gold is a
3-year-old by Mystery Chase and was picking up his second lifetime score from
13 trips to the post last week. Jungquist tracked early, came first over by the
half and gamely got the job done by a neck over favored Believe In Dragons
while stopping the timer in 1:55 4/5 that evening.
Taking them on in the finale,
from the rail out: Starstruck Cowgirl, Urkillnmesmalls, Night Delight,
Promising Flight, This Dog Wont Hunt, Believe In Dragons and Infinite Horizon.
Delightfully Wild adds
another snapshot
For owners Richard Morita and
David Yamada, the 8-year-old pacing mare Delightfully Wild is the gift that
keeps on giving.
When she captured her first
start at the meet last week for trainer Jessie Pacheco and pilot Ryan Grundy,
it was her 42nd victory from 169 lifetime trips to the post with
over $220,000 in her account and a 1:51 1/5 mark.
“She really surprised us,”
Morita said following the score, which came in her first appearance since late
August.
“She had a full summer
campaign and then returned for a little rest. We turn out our horses with Sheri
Burns in Wilton, and she does a great job giving the horses their rest and
rehabilitation.
“We’ve been doing this for
years, which may account for why our aged horses have been so productive.”
For the record, those
performers include Delightfully Wild and the likes of Pancetta, Bettor’s
Promise and One and Only.
In last week’s score,
Delightfully Wild tracked the leaders for a half, came first over at that point
and showed her class through the stretch to win clear in a 1:54 2/5 tour of the
oval.
“Plenty of credit to Jessie
for having her ready and Ryan for a nice drive. By the way, it’s great to have
Ryan back at Cal Expo this season,” Morita added.
