Mare A Raeann Seeks California Sire Stakes Repeat

Stretch drive at Cal Expo

A $20,000 USD California Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies is featured on the Friday, March 14 program at Cal Expo.

Nine races are on tap under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with post time at 6:45 p.m. PDT.

The California Sire Stakes, scheduled as race two, features first-round winner Mare A Raeann, who is owned and trained by Jose Castillo and will have James Kennedy in the sulky. The daughter of Fancy Schmansy and Computer Art was sent off at odds of 15-1 in the first Sire Stakes of the season for this group on Feb. 22, but won like odds-on as she went three-wide at three-quarters, took command in deep stretch and was a length and a quarter clear at the wire in 1:59.2. She will start from post four in the field of five fillies on Friday.

Skoochs Valentine was the 1-9 choice that evening but had to settle for the place money. The 6-5 morning line favourite from post two here, she will be gunning for some revenge for owner/breeder Ronald Rettig-Zucchi, trainer Jessie Pacheco and driver Luke Plano.

Completing the field are Miss Street Dancer (post one), Miss Josie Forces (post three) and DM Magic Player (post five).

On Saturday night, JK Cache Meoutside has top billing in the Sire Stakes for the three-year-old pacing males. A $12,500 USD Rod Knittel DHA Free-for-All for pacing fillies and mares will feature Graceful Horizon.

Overthemoonforyou Continues To Shine

Make that nine wins from 11 starts at the Cal Expo meet and a pair of Sire Stakes trophies for the four-year-old pacing mare Overthemoonforyou.

The daughter of Karpathian Kid and Moon Rising came into this meeting with just a pair of snapshots from her first 24 trips to the post, but has been sensational since arriving in California for owner Qks Racing, trainer Quentin Schneider and driver Aaron Lehman.

To give you some idea what expectations were back in December, she was sent off at 45-1 on opening night in the Funicello elimination before making short work of the competition and hasn’t let up since.

Last Friday night’s coast-to-coast score earned her a second straight Sire Stakes victory and Lehman took things into his own hands that evening by going right to the front to win in 1:55.4.

“She’s been unexpected and awesome,” declared Lehman.

Among the four-year-old pacing males, it was Alien Art Form who was taking bows after the Sire Stakes for trainer, driver and lessee Ryan Grundy. The son of Outrageous Art-Imjusttaylormade flattened out after a first-over trip as the favourite in the first stakes dance of the season, but made amends last week with a strong finish to get the job done in 1:55.1 over Search And Destroy, who has been runner-up in both of these events.

(With files from Cal Expo)

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