Two-year-old colts and geldings, on both the pace and trot, were featured at Cal Expo on Saturday night (October 22) in a pair of $15,000 California Sires Stakes

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In the pacing division, Bloom N Doom made a successful debut. Before starting from post position two in the field of five, driving Lemoyne Svendsen was fairly confident.

"He was fresh off of an excellent qualifier, but I still didn't know how he'd be because he's so green," stated Svendsen. "I still was pretty sure I could be second and thought I had a shot at winning."

With the field sent on their way, Svendsen had some unexpected racing luck, which landed him behind the 3-5 favourite Ra Ra Steven (Rich Wojcio).

"All I was trying to do was to keep him quiet and calm while wanting to be in the pocket. When Down Holme [driven by Steve Wiseman] raced green and very wide in the first-turn after leaving that obviously helped my positioning."

With Down Holme making a inexperienced right turn into the first turn, Bloom N Doom was able to enjoy a perfect trip through first half fractions of :30.1 and 1:00.3. With the field now on the final turn and Wojcio asking Ra Ra Steven to go on past the five-eighths mile station, Svendsen was pleased his gelding stayed right with that pacer through three-quarters of a mile, timed in 1:30.

"I thought I had a shot at him because I hadn't asked him to pace yet, plus when he qualified he was very strong coming home."

Drafting until on the move with less than 3/16ths of a mile to go, Svendsen had to feel good since he only tapped his charge at the seven-eighths mile pole while Wojcio went to work on his.

"When I pulled him out I wanted to get him straight because we were going fast enough that I didn't want him to get him twisted around. Once he was straightened, I pulled the earplugs and he took right off."

With youngsters, especially those making their first start, there are always learning issues to contend with, and Bloom N Doom was no exception.

"He was pacing real hard, but he still doesn't really know how to pace real hard yet because he started getting steppy on me and I had to keep grabbing him all the way down the stretch on and off. In the final sixteenth, however, he finally flattened out, I laid the whip on his tail, and he paced right by Ra Ra Steven."

Closing in willing fashion while only under very light whip-taps, Bloom N Doom won ($7.60) by three-quarters of one-length. Bred and owned by Wayne and Rod Knittel, the Bob Johnson-trained gelding stopped the timer at 1:58.3, establishing of course a lifetime mark. Ra Ra Steven had to settle for the place honours, and Little Tor (Luke Plano) finished eight lengths farther back in third.

"It was a very nice race for a first-time ever," finished Svendsen.

In the division for the trotters, raced prior to the betting program in a non-wagering event, El Azteca made it back-to-back Sires Stakes triumphs in as many career starts.

Coming away second from Post 2 in the field of four and gapping 2-1/2 lengths after 3/16ths of a mile, the colt narrowed the margin at the 5/16ths mile pole, then sat a loose pocket at the three-eighths and was gapped two-lengths by the half-mile juncture, timed in 1:04.

Back on and first over just to the midway point of the final turn, trainer Marco Rios had good logic to pull.

"I tried to do the same thing as I did two weeks ago, which was to pull him out of the pocket because he felt good," said Rios. "Since he showed me a good kick in the last quarter that night, and since he felt good tonight, I chose to pull him when I did and he was good again."

Taking a parked out neck lead at the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:36.2, Rios shouted and chased after his pupil at the head of the lane, and the freshman responded and opened up by 1-1/2 lengths before opening up more in the last sixteenth of a mile while urged little, if that. Bred and owned by Rios as well, El Azteca won by 3-3/4 lengths, in 2:06.1, a lifetime mark. Lees Persuader (Steve Wiseman) finished in second, and the pace-setting Light Red (Lemoyne Svendsen) finished 1-1/2 lengths farther back, in third.

"He's one of those horses that when you sit behind him you know he's going to be a nice horse and it sure makes you feel good about him. I think he's going to turn out to be a nice racehorse," concluded Rios.

In the Winners Over Pace for a $4,500 purse, Myras Hiho (Jim Lackey) was a game and terrific first over winner ($25) despite being headed in the lane. Owned by Hank Wiesneck and Marty Garey in partnership with trainer Bob Johnson, the five-year-old gelding won by a head in 1:54.4, a lifetime best. Haggin Oaks (James Kennedy) closed nicely to be second, and the Johnson trained Ivegotwhatyouneed (Lemoyne Svendsen), who did have the lead late, had to settle for third, just a nose farther back.

For the leading trainer Johnson, the conditioning victory was the middle portion of a consecutive training triple. On the 15-race program, Dave Siegel had a driving grand slam while Matias Ruiz trained four winners.

(Cal Expo)