A pair of California Sire Stakes Championships headline Friday night’s action at Cal Expo, with Senga Nightmare looming large in the $50,000 contest for the four-year-old pacing mares, while Give Me This Dance is the one to beat in the $15,000 affair for the three-year-old pacing fillies.

A 10-race card is on tap Friday under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with first post set for 6:45 p.m.

Senga Nightmare has accounted for all four of the Sire Stakes decided at this meeting for her division for her owner/trainer/driver Ryan Grundy. She has been putting her class and versatility on display during the course of these scores and the daughter of Vertical Horizon will be tough no matter how things shake out early.

Taking her on are: Tenaya with Chip Lackey; Doubleontherocks for Luke Plano; Witch Hunter for Cordarius Stewart; May Day Maggie and Nick Roland; Tartan Patch with Rene Goulet; Rockin The Dragon for Mooney Svendsen; and Shewentthataway with James Kennedy.

Meanwhile, Give Me This Dance is looking for her seventh straight victory at the meet, including Sire Stakes decisions on March 18 and April 1. She is owned and was bred by Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte with Nick Roland reining and training.

She has left little doubt in either of those stakes decisions and came back last week to romp home over conditioned rivals while lowering her lifetime standard to 1:55.1 in the process.

Looking to post an upset Friday are: Cenalta Flash with Mooney Svendsen; Toot Toot for James Kennedy; and Anotherblazinwoman with Luke Plano giving directions.

Officer Jim Gets Job Done In Style

Officer Jim’s victory in last Sunday night’s fifth race was especially sweet for owner Robin Clements, as the race was named for the late George Hanford.

“It was special winning a race named for George,” Clements related after the win. “He was a great guy and always willing to help people. I was fortunate to get to know him.”

Leaving from the outside post in the field of seven for trainer Quentin Schneider and pilot James Kennedy, Officer Jim was used twice to the lead and then fought back gamely in the stretch to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

Officer Jim is a six-year-old son of American Ideal who was winning for the 17th time in his 59 career trips to the post. He established his 1:52.3 mark over this strip earlier in the year.

“I claimed 'Jimmy' for $7,500 last summer at Running Aces and he’s turned out to be a nice one. Kim and Quentin Schneider have done a great job with him, because when we first got him he was pretty rammy from racing on the front end so much.

“Now he’s become pretty versatile in that he can race from the back or has the speed to race on the front. He’s one of those horses that always seems happy, which helps him too, and he just puts a smile on your face to be around him.”

(Cal Expo)