Hats off to the mares Sparkin Your Fire and Blue Note, who has their pictures taken in back-to-back races at Cal Expo last Friday evening.
The Filly and Mare Open has developed into one of the most contentious divisions on the grounds, and Sparkin Your Fire has now captured three of these events dur the track’s current meet. The six-year-old goes about her business for owner Peg Hoffman and driver/trainer Gerry Longo.
Because she had been settling for nibbles of late and had an outside post, Sparkin Your Fire was dismissed at a juicy 26-1 last week and was ultra-game getting the job done in first-over fashion in a 1:54.3 mile.
Longo, by the way, is still going strong at age 72 and has now made 2,827 trips to the charmed enclosure in his career with nearly $12.5 million in earnings.
Speaking of veterans, less than half an hour after that race, the 13-year-old Blue Note suited up for owner/trainer Rick Cisco and pilot Luke Plano and got the job done in coast-to-coast fashion.
The daughter of Little Steven has earned her $129,000 bank account the old-fashioned way with a 1:54.1 mark that was set at Cal Expo last season and she continues to display the desire to show the way home.
Cisco has done a great job keeping the mare on her game and she has certainly become a fan favourite, especially when she turns in performances like she did last week.
FILLY AND MARE OPEN ATOP THE MARQUEE
A $5,500 Filly and Mare Open Pace will headlines Friday night’s Cal Expo program with last week’s upset victress, Sparkin Your Fire, attempting a curtail call.
Five different distaffers have been victorious in the last seven Filly and Mare Opens, and last week it was Sparkin Your Fire who prevailed for driver/trainer Gerry Longo while rewarding her backers to the tune of $55 in that mile.
It was actually the third win in the Distaff Open at this meet for the six-year-old daughter of Duneside Perch, who goes about her business for owner Peg Hoffman. She was very game getting it done in last week’s clash, used early for position from an outside post and then coming first-over for Longo to seal the deal by three-quarters of a length.
Capitol Hill was her most immediate victim in that contest and sports a decision at this level back on November 25. The Badlands Hanover mare is owned by George McChrystal and Kathie Plested with Plested the conditioner and Steve Wiseman handling the lines.
Two weeks ago, it was Delightfully Wild and Melodies That Rock who dead-heated for the top spot ‘at this rung.’ The former was accounting for her third straight tally at this level, while Melodies That Rock was parlaying an upset victory in the Robert Gordon final.
Delightfully Wild races for Richard Morita and David Yamada with Lino Pacheco training and Luke Plano driving and had her work cut out last week leaving from the outside slot in the field of nine and having to come from well back.
Melodies That Rock is by Rockin Image and carries the banner of Brittney Nichole Thigpin with William Hernandez reining and training. She was 27-1 when she captured the Gordon with Chip Lackey doing the honours that evening. Shark Festival will round out the field for owners Medinah Racing and Scott Ehrlich with Kathie Plested training and Mooney Svendsen guiding from the rail.
(Cal Expo)