Beginning this week, the trotters and pacers will be in action on Friday and Saturday nights at Cal Expo. Friday’s inaugural program is headed by a $4,400 Open III Pace.

First post under the Watch and Wager LLC banner will be 6:10 p.m. for both the Friday and Saturday programs.

Mr Pearl has been assigned the outside post in the field that will line up for the main event and should have his share of supporters after having turned in three solid efforts in as many tries at the meeting.

A four-year-old son of Always A Virgin out of the Artiscape mare Penny Artcade, Mr Pearl carries the hopes of A Piece Of The Action LLC with Gene Vallandingham the conditioner and James Kennedy doing the honours.

Mr Pearl was a runner-up at 10-1 in his first start at the meet. He followed that up by flying home in his next start, which saw him finish second by a head while racing as the 2-1 post-time choice. Chip Lackey was at his lines for both of those outings.

The pacer was 4-1 when he suited up for last week’s assignment, which saw James Kennedy take over the controls. He stalked early, came first over on the backside, took over with a bold move in the stretch and drew off by six lengths in an impressive 1:53.1. The clocking shaved two-fifths of a second off his career standard.

Set to line up inside him on Friday are Strings, who has the cozy rail slot, Back Stock, Shark Festival, Windsun T Bird, FF Bigshow, Anderlecht and Rusty Carter. The headliner has been carded as Race 10 on the program.

REDUCED TAKEOUT WAGERS OFFER GREAT VALUE

Both the 20-cent Pick 4 and 50-cent Pick 5 at Cal Expo feature a reduced 16 per cent takeout rate, and looking at last Saturday night’s payouts in those two wagers shows just how much value that equals.

The Pick 5 sequence that kicked off the program featured winners that paid $5.80, $16.60, $21, $15.20 and ended with an even-money favourite getting the job done.

For each correct 50-cent investment there was a return of $3,131. Using the regular takeout rate, the payoff would have been $2,796, a nice difference of $335 per ticket.

The 20-cent Pick 4, which is decided on the final four events on the evening, saw a 6-5 favourite, a 2-1 second choice, an $8 victor and a $20.80 winner in the nightcap.

The payoff for half a buck was $1,759, while the normal takeout return would have been $1,570, meaning $189 more went to holders of winning ducats in that sequence. Not bad at all.

(Cal Expo)