By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Senga Nightmare heads the
cast for Friday night’s $20,000 California Sire Stakes for the 4-year-old
pacing mares, while A Major Omen and Its Pointless are among the top players in
the co-featured $7,500 Open Pace.
There will be nine races
presented under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with first post set for 6:45
p.m.
Senga Nightmare is a daughter
of Vertical Horizon out of the Falcons Future mare Nells Sweet Future who is
owned, trained and driven by Ryan Grundy. She comes into this assignment having
won four of her last seven trips to the post.
In the first Sire Stakes
action of the season three weeks ago, Senga Nightmare was dispatched as the 3-5
favorite and did not disappoint her many backers. Unhurried early, as is her
custom, she looped the leaders into the lane and won going away by a length and
quarter.
Taking her on Friday, from
the rail out: Witch Hunter, May Day Maggie, Cookiesncream, Doubleontherocks,
Rockin The Dragon and Tartan Patch.
An extremely contentious
field of nine will face the starter in the Open Pace with A
Major Omen assigned the
outside slot for owner/driver/trainer Gerry Longo while taking on the
hard-hitting Its Pointless and recent upset winners Ragged But Right and Dancin
Lance.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s
action, Chase The Gold will put his winning streak on the line in the Sire
Stakes for the 4-year-old pacing horses and geldings while the 3-year-old
pacing colts and 3-year-old pacing fillies will get their first chance at
earning trophies this season.
Chase The Gold eyes
another trophy
Chase The Gold will be gunning
for his eighth straight win Sunday night in the California Sire Stakes, and
trainer Quentin Schneider relates that the pacer has a pretty enviable
combination working for him.
“He’s got talent and he loves
to race,” Schneder related when talking about the Qks Racing colorbearer.
An Alberta-bred son of
Mystery Chase out of the Cam’s Card Shark mare Daiquiri Blue Chip, Chase The
Gold was purchased as a yearling and is turning out to be an excellent buy. “My
wife picked him out and we liked the pedigree,” Quentin said.
Chase The Gold started the
streak win victories in the Donald Arnstine Prep, added the Steve Wiseman to
his resume in January while establishing a new mark with the 1:52 4/5 clocking
and then proved a punctual favorite three weeks ago in the first Sire Stakes
for the 4-year-old pacing males.
“When he first started out,
there were a lot of complications,” Schneider noted. “He had speed, but he
wasn’t mentally ready. Earlier in the meet he started to mature and was able to
show his talent.”
Chase The Gold has been
putting his abilities and versatility on display, getting the job done from
well behind, with a mid-race brush and most recently in coast-to-coast fashion.
During the course of the
streak, he’s has had three different pilots and will be re-united with James
Kennedy for this weekend’s assignment.
