Rockin With Lou, fresh from her upset win in last week’s Kirk Breed Pace, looks to close out the Cal Expo meet in style in Sunday’s featured $7,200 Filly and Mare Open Pace.

The main event is slated as the fifth on a nine-race card with first post at 5:25 p.m. The program will bring the Watch and Wager LLC meeting to an end with mandatory payouts for all wagers.

Rockin With Lou is a four-year-old daughter of Sweet Lou and the Rocknroll Hanover mare Ram Rocker who is owned, trained and driven by Gerry Longo. She is gunning for her 10th win from 28 lifetime trips to the post.

Sent off at 9-1 in last week’s Kirk Breed, Longo sat back early with his charge, rallied off cover to the lane and ignited late to prevail by a half-length over favored Velocity McSweets while earning a new career standard with the 1:52.3 clocking.

Velocity McSweets put in her usual solid late close in that affair but had to settle for the runner-up prize. Jen Sabot owns and trains the six-year-old daughter of McArdle and Cordarius Stewart will once again be the pilot from the outside post in the field of seven.

Velocity McSweets is looking for her 25th snapshot from 94 appearances and established her career mark of 1:52 two years ago at Tioga Downs. Her most recent score came here on March 28 in the Distaff Open.

Completing the cast are Kiss On The Lips with Jake Cutting; Marys Pretty Girl, Tony Kerwood; Roaring Home, who will have Nick Roland in the sulky; Delightfully Wild, Mooney Svendsen and Alwaysalittlemore with Luke Plano guiding.

Im A Magic Man puts it all together

After having to settle for minor awards in his initial stakes appearances, it was Im A Magic Man’s chance to shine in last week’s final big-money clash for the sophomore males at this session.

Sent off the 3-1 second choice with Tony Kerwood at the controls, Im A Magic Man left into a stalking spot, attacked pace-setting Lodi Phillip in the lane and posted a three-quarter length trophy earner while posting an excellent 1:53.3 clocking.

The Mystician homebred carries the banner of Rick Schneider, is put through his paces by Ariel Alvarez and is now two-for-two since joining forces with Kerwood.

“You can really see the difference in his last few starts,” said Alvarez after the Sire Stakes score. “It was just a matter of getting his head and his legs to click, and then the improvement came.

“He was beating an easier field the week before, but it was strong, and I think quite a few people were surprised when he was able to beat Lodi Phillip in the stakes. He’s got a lot of talent and now he’s putting it all together.”

While Im A Magic Man has returned to his native Alberta and a reunion with Schneider, following closing week here Alvarez will be packing his bags and heading to what he hopes will be a successful spring and summer at Running Aces.

This being closing night, there will be mandatory payouts in all wagers. A reminder that there are three bets with a reduced 16 percent takeout rate – the 20-cent early and late Pick 5 and the 20-cent Pick 4, with the latter featuring a $25,000-guaranteed gross pool.

(Cal Expo)