Luke Plano relates that the pacing mare Magnifique, who proved clearly best in last week’s distaff Open II event at Cal-Expo, has been a pleasant surprise at this meet.

The now eight-year-old daughter of Tell All carries the banner of Nikki Hudson with Plano reining and training. She has turned in a series of solid efforts at this meeting, including a close third in the Alan Horowitz Memorial two weeks ago.

“I’ve had her since September,” Plano explained. “Nick Roland claimed her at Running Aces for $6,000 toward the end of the meet and then I took her over.

“We thought she would do well here with her conditions, and she’s exceeded what we hoped for to this point.”

Magnifique proved a liking for an off track when she prevailed in a conditioned contest on opening week, then went a powerful mile two back when missing by only a half-length to heavily favoured Scary Harry in the aforementioned Horowitz.

In her most recent appearance, she looked every part the even-money favourite as she brushed to the lead at the half and took complete control of the race from there, coming to the wire with a 2-1/2 length advantage.

“She can a little quirky when she jogs, but when it’s time to race she’s all business out there and has a touch of class,” her mentor added. “Now she’ll have to step back up to the Open, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Opens bring out quality trotters, pacers

A $7,000 Open Pace headed by Icy Blue Scooter, Gorgeous For Real and Im An Athlete and a $7,000 Open Trot that finds Silverhill Volo in the spotlight are the main attractions on Friday night’s (Jan. 4) Cal-Expo program.

Watch and Wager LLC will present 12 races with first post set for 6:10 p.m.

Icy Blue Scooter is coming off a dominating front-end victory in last week’s Open Pace for driver-trainer Nathan Sobey, who also co-owns the six-year-old son of Blue Burner with Diane Bertrand and Robert Gilhespy.

He was the runner-up in his first two Sacramento outings after coming in from Canada, including a nose setback on Nov. 14, then got his revenge in the most recent clash at the top rung with his two-length score in a lifetime-best 1:52.1 clocking.

Gorgeous For Real completed the exacta in that contest while going off the mild 5-2 favourite. He was a 1:51 victor at Hoosier Park last summer and goes about his business for the partnership of Schwartz, Wilkinson, Axelrod and O’Neill with Junior Wilkinson the conditioner and Dean Magee handling the lines.

Im An Athlete accounted for the Dec. 14 Open when hanging that nose decision on Icy Blue Scooter and was third in that last clash at the head of the class. The nine-year-old son of Art Major is approaching the $200,000 earnings plateau for owner Ronald Rettig-Zucchi, trainer Jessie Pacheco and pilot James Kennedy with a 1:51 mark that was established at Cal-Expo.

Completing the field are King Of The Crop, Bettors Promise, Almost Cut My Hair, Jazzmanian Devil, Why Ask Why and Prodigal.

(Cal-Expo)