Luke Plano drove Coal Younger a few times last season, but hadn’t joined forces with Jan Crowell’s homebred for a bit when they got back together two weeks ago. A pair of coast-to-coast scores over 'sloppy' Cal-Expo tracks was the result, and the duo will attempt the hat trick in the 11th race on Saturday, February 6.

“His manners weren’t all that good when I drove him last year, but he’s grown up and matured,” related Plano when asked about the four-year-old son of Hi Ho Silverheels. “His main weapon is his tremendous gate speed, so I’ve tried to us it to our advantage these last two starts.”

The Jill Wine trainee was 9-2 when going coast-to-coast in the 'goo' on January 21, with two and a half lengths to spare at the wire. He rewarded his backers with $9 when doing an encore over another 'sloppy' oval last weekend.

“The first race I was just looking for a good early spot, but he made the top and they pretty much left us alone,” Plano explained. “Last week looked like a tougher field and we were also moving outside another couple of posts. We left strong, he got pushed pretty hard by Television Star to the quarter, but after that he wasn’t really challenged.

“He’s sharp right now, and when you give a horse like that his own way up there, he’s going to be pretty tough in the stretch. Every race is different, but generally speaking you want to be up close on sloppy tracks like those last two he caught, but a drying-out track can be tiring and work for the closers.”

Bewareofthisaffair Tweets A Winner

It had been rough going for the four-year-old pacing mare Bewareofthisaffair following her December 4, 2009 maiden breaker, as she failed to threaten in the next five attempts. Although, it was a different mare who showed up last week and the result was an emphatic victory, a $39 payoff to her backers and a new lifetime mark.

Bewareofthisaffair is a daughter of Hi Ho Silverheels who is the pride and joy of her owner/breeder Wendi Wiener, while taking her lessons from Nathalie Tremblay with Steve Wiseman the regular pilot.

“This is the filly that is my heart and soul, I can’t even explain the connection I have with her,” related Wiener, who was still recovering from the victory the following day. “Heck, I talk to her on the cell phone before each race … and she listens!”

The dark-hued pacer is out of the Camtastic mare Sanananna, who has also produced the other Wiener colour-bearers Mamahaswhiskerstoo, Cold Affair and Bananafanafoes, each of whom are also very special to their breeder.

“'BB Bug' (Bewareofthisaffair) was born right here on my farm in Riverside,” she related. “Like all my kids, she didn’t start until she was ready and never at two. She won’t actually turn four until April 16. She had a major hive problem, but the cause of the allergies was found and now she’s perfect.”

It turns out Bewareofthisaffair has a secret weapon of sorts, which may have helped in her 18-1 upset at most recent asking.

“In the paddock, she wears a Tweety stuffed animal on her halter to play with,” her owner noted.

She abandoned the toy when she headed to the track, and several minutes later it was her seven distaff rivals she was playing with in the stretch, motoring by them to the delight of the longshot players.

Second Round Of $10,000 Midweek Madness Handicapping Tournament Continues At Cal-Expo

An extremely contentious distaff pacing event and the second leg of the $10,000 Midweek Madness Handicapping Tournament are the highlights at Cal-Expo on the Thursday, February 4 program.

Both last week’s opening leg and Thursday’s second leg find $100 wagering vouchers going to the 25 contestants with the highest scores, and they earn an entry into the Thursday, February 11 final. That finale offers $5,000 in prize money, with $2,500 going to the winner. Second place will be worth $750, with $500 going to third, $250 to fourth and $100 to the fifth through 14th finishers.

The contest is open to all harness fans age 18 and older and there is no entry fee. For more information, go to calxharness.com or check with your facility manager.

Participating sites are Stockton, Golden Fields, Cal-Expo, Victorville, Santa Rosa, Lake Perris, Fairplex, Big Fresno Fair, Club One Fresno, Monterey, National Orange Show, Surfside Del Mar, Hollywood Park, Viejas Casino, Pleasanton, San Mateo County Fair, Barona Casino, Lancaster, Ventura, Los Alamitos, Commerce Casino, Santa Anita, Vallejo and Bakersfield.

Looking at the $4,400 distaff feature, a case can be made for several of the entrants. Zoom Past You has been doing all her recent work at the Open level, including a victory in the January 8 top dance with regular pilot Lemoyne Svendsen at the controls. The five-year-old daughter of American Ignot is owned by David Brunck and Don and Roselea Conrad and hails from the Chris Conrad barn.

Silver Bloom is fresh from an 18-1 upset in last week’s clash at this level, igniting late to be up by a neck over Forever Showin Off. The stakes-winning Hi Ho Silverheels offspring carries the banner of Wayne Knittel with Rick Plano doing the driving and training. She set her 1:54 mark here last season.

Forever Showin Off also hails from the Chris Conrad barn and will have Jason Ricco at the controls. The Don Conrad and Fred Schroeder, Jr. colour-bearer prevailed over similar rivals in a powerful performance on January 8, was hard used against Open foes at next asking, and has a second and a third since returning to this league. She made the lead in the stretch last time, but was nailed on the money by Silver Bloom.

Castle Oaks posted back-to-back big wins with this kind on January 15 and 22, then was third in a tight finish as the 6-5 choice in last week’s clash. The Alan Kirschenbaum and Denise Maier homebred is reined and trained by Tim Maier and has a 1:55.1 career mile that was posted here last year. Reno Rose (Jim Lackey) and Blue Note (Luke Plano) round out the field.

Schedule

Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Thursday, February 4 and will continue through Saturday, February 6. Post time on Thursday is at 5:05 p.m. (PST). Post-time on Friday (February 5) is at 5:30 p.m. Post-time on Saturday is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

(Cal-Expo)