One More Molly, who is currently tied with the longest winning streak among active harness horses in North America, will shoot for her 12th straight victory in Cal Expo's second race on Sunday, January 17.
The contest is designed for distaff pacers carrying base claiming prices of $8,000 down to $6,000, and One More Molly will leave from the outside slot in the field of six.
The five-year-old daughter of Hi Ho Silverheels is owned by Denise Maier, who co-bred the distaffer with Alan Kirschenbaum, and is trained and driven by Tim Maier. One More Molly’s 11 straight wins ties her with the Canadian pacing filly Meridan Magic, who closed out her two-year-old campaign with 11 straight and has yet to make her sophomore debut.
There was a 12-race winning streak during the 2009 North American harness racing season, as Muscle Hill went undefeated -- and likely wrapped up Horse of the Year honours -- in one of the most impressive campaigns in recent memory.
If One More Molly can get the job done this weekend, she will join former stablemate Smooth Jazz for the longest winning streak under the 'Team Maier' banner. That trotter started her career with 12 victories, all in sire stakes events.
Denise has said repeatedly during this streak that One More Molly has been the most pleasant of surprises after starting her career in non-descript fashion with nine wins from 81 starts while doing her work at the lower levels.
“She was just an easy-going mare who had raced okay up to that point,” Denise related. “Tim and I are as surprised as anybody that she’s been able to do this, because she didn’t seem to have the winning spirit. I can’t say that we found anything new about her, she’s just racing very well.”
There will be two more Sunday programs at Cal Expo; then beginning January 27, the track will be vacating Sunday racing and switching to a Wednesday-through-Saturday night schedule.
The January 27 program will also be the first leg of the Midweek Madness Handicapping contest, which will be taking place at California wagering facilities. The contest will feature $10,000 in prizes, with the second leg on Wednesday, February 3 and the finale on Wednesday, February 10.
Distaff Open, Pick 4 Carryover On Tap At Cal-Expo Tonight
A $6,100 filly & mare Open Pace headed by Zoom Past You and Don’t Tempt Me and a carryover in the early Pick 4 headline the Thursday, January 14 action at Cal Expo.
With no winning tickets in the Sunday, January 10 late Pick 4, there will be a $3,757 carryover in Thursday’s early Pick 4, which covers the second through five races on the program. The pool is expected to reach $15,000.
Here's Looking At You, Kid
The six-year-old pacing mare Looking At You turned things around nicely in her most recent tour while returning a cool $39 to her backers. She did it the hard way, in game, first-over fashion with Luke Plano at the controls.
Brian Solden trains the dark-hued performer for John Darrah; and while he wasn’t totally surprised she got the job done, he admits his confidence was a bit diminished when she drew the next to outside slot in a field at nine at entry time.
“I had a feeling she was going to start doing better, “Solden related. “But I thought it would happen when she got an inside post. The race one back she did have a good post, but it was over a sloppy track.
“Even though she’s won on the front end, she doesn’t have all that much speed away from there. I talked to Luke before the race, and from an outside post we figured she’d have to come from off the pace. I really thought she earned the win the other night, because it’s not like she had a pocket trip or was second-over.
“I don’t know the exact numbers, but I’d guess that Luke has won about half the time he’s driven her. It’s pretty obvious they get along great and he deserves plenty of credit.”
Solden currently conditions nine performers, including a pair for Darrah.
“John is a great owner who really loves the sport. He doesn’t push the panic button when a horse isn’t winning, and he lets me do what I have to do.”
Darrah’s best-known charge is the sensational pacing mare Flirtiscape, owned in partnership with Nick Ruscigno and Lawrence Keethe and currently back east with trainer Lou Pena. The daughter of Artiscape was a dominating presence at Cal Expo early last year and then headed to the east coast where she was a 1:49.4 victress at the Meadowlands.
Betty Elizabeth Gets Back To Work
Lisa Pilcher has reported that her multiple stakes-winning two-year-old trotting filly Betty Elizabeth has returned to training this week after getting a three-week sabbatical.
The homebred daughter of Panama Hanover and the Sacramento mare Eggcellent was runner-up in the first stakes dance for her division in November, then captured the next three big-money events in impressive fashion with Gene Vallandingham in the sulky.
Owner/breeder/trainer Pilcher explained that the youngster carries the name of both of Lisa’s grandmothers.
“Both were Elizabeth and fondly called Betty by family members and close friends,” she explained.
Pilcher knew from the very beginning that she had something special on her hands in this distaffer.
“At three weeks old, she started to show her athletic ability by trotting circles around her peers. Later on as a yearling, she displayed her leadership skills by taking charge of the pasture, just as her mother does by being leading mare.”
Unlike mom, however, Betty Elizabeth is a cool customer on the racetrack.
“Her dam had a nervous, competitive nature, but this filly has displayed a calm demeanor. She actually makes things pretty easy for me. She has natural gate speed, wears very little equipment, loves her job and enjoys her life at the farm.”
Betty Elizabeth, who obviously wrapped up divisional honours with her trio of stakes decisions, will now be geared up for the next round of added-money competition in hopes of becoming the three-year-old champion.
Schedule Through The Weekend
Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo tonight and continues through Sunday, January 17. First-race post time is 5:35 p.m. (PST) tonight. The Friday, January 15 program will kick off at 5:30 p.m. First-race post times for Saturday, January 16 and Sunday, January 17 are scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
(With files from Cal Expo)