A well-matched field of top-class pacing fillies and mares will take centre stage Friday night (April 26) at Cal Expo in the $10,000 Kirk Breed Pace.

A 10-race program will be on tap under the ‘Watch and Wager LLC’ banner. First post will be at 7:10 p.m. and the main event has been carded as the sixth contest of the evening.

Trainer Kathie Plested looks to have a strong hand in the race, as Capitol Hill and Dancingonthesand will represent her shedrow. The former is owned by the trainer and George McChrystal (Steve Wiseman does the driving), while Dancingonthesand races for the trainer and Alan Cooper (Mooney Svendsen does the driving).

As has often been the case at the head of the distaff pacing class, last week’s Open saw an upset, as Capitol Hill sat a pocket trip for Wiseman and came home smartly to get the job done by a length and a half as a 15-1 shot.

Dancingonthesand has recorded six wins from her 10 trips to the post on the season and the long-fused mare looms large. Her most recent tally came on April 6, as she did the stalk-and-pounce to perfection to win going away.

Legio X Equestris is going in very sharp form at the moment for owner David Shell and trainer Luke Plano with a win and two seconds from the last three clashes at the top rung at Cal Expo. Ryan Grundy guides the daughter of Roll With Joe and she was a 1:53 victress two back in a handy coast-to-coast decision.

Completing the field will be Lickcreek Speedway, Brighten Your Life, Delightfully Wild and Magnifique.

Kirk Breed, Tony Miller Remembered With Races

Friday’s Kirk Breed Pace is named for the man who served as executive director of the California Horse Racing Board from 2008 until his death at the age of 73 in 2013. The Tony Miller Memorial is in honour of the harness valet at Cal Expo who passed away recently at age 56.

Breed was appointed as general manager at Cal Expo during the first term of Gov. Jerry Brown in 1979, and was credited with turning around the event’s financial fortune during lean times.

He later became a lobbyist on behalf of the racing industry and also served for eight years on the Cal Expo board of directors. The Oklahoma native loved horses and worked tirelessly to reduce equine fatalities and improve track safety for horses, jockeys and drivers.

Tony Miller was a third-generation horsemen who was an owner, Thoroughbred valet and most recently harness valet at Cal Expo for the past 12 years. He passed away after a battle with colon cancer.

Blue Note Retiring

The 14-year-old pacing mare Blue Note will be making the final start of her career Friday evening when she suits up in the evening’s fifth race. There will be a special ceremony prior to that start in the winner’s circle to honour the popular performer.

Rick Cisco owns and trains the daughter of Little Steven, who is out of the Denali mare Romantic Music. She heads into her final assignment with 37 wins from her 321 appearances, $155,000 in her bank account and a 1:54.1 mark that was taken at Cal Expo two years ago.

“She’s a gem, and always tries her heart out,” Cisco said. “I want to be sure to credit Luke Plano, because he’s had a lot of success driving her over the years. The plan is to send her to Minnesota, where she’ll be bred to Wind Me Up.”

(Cal Expo)