Betty Elizabeth is putting together a pretty impressive trophy case for owner/trainer/breeder Lisa Pilcher, as last week’s stakes score at Cal-Expo was the sixth of her career.
The three-year-old daughter of Panama Hanover closed out the spring session with a romp over her peers, then was ready to rock and roll in the first big-money event of the fall despite not having a race or a qualifier going into that affair. She added another stakes tally to the resume at most recent asking in her second successful teaming with Steve Wiseman.
“'Betty' spent June and July in the barn during the day and in her paddock at night,” Pilcher related. “She jogged down on the Eurociser, and began training in August with her stablemate Inatimelymanner.”
In mid-September, the latter performer was retired to Lisa’s father’s farm in Auburn, at which time Betty Elizabeth got a new partner.
“I purchased a four-year-old pacing mare named Tonight Is Mine and they started training together. It’s worked out real well.”
While Betty Elizabeth is two-for-two in stakes dances at this session, doing the track-and-attack to perfection on both occasions, Tonight Is Mine is doing her part for the barn with a win and a third coming into this week’s action.
Betty Elizabeth will attempt to add to her $67,000 bank account in next week’s get-together for the sophomore trotting fillies, while Pilcher has December 11 circled on the calendar as the dark-hued distaffer will shoot for another rich payday in the $20,000 championship event.
(Cal-Expo)
- Jess Or No -- who has recorded three straight victories -- and Putoneonnetformom, Meringue and Easter Call, who are coming out of the Open Trot, will square off in Cal-Expo's Thursday, November 18 main event;
- Four $20,000 California Sire Stakes Championship races for two-year-old trotters and pacers are on tap at Cal-Expo on Saturday evening (November 20);
- Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Thursday, November 18 and will continue through Saturday, November 20. First-race post time on Thursday is at 5:20 p.m. (PST). First-race post time on Friday, November 19 is at 5:40 p.m., while the first post on Saturday is 5:35 p.m.;
- Now on Saturdays, Cal Expo will offer a reduced 15 per cent takeout rate on both the Early and Late Pick-4 wagers, with both Pick-4s now having a $10,000 gross-guaranteed pool;
- Next week’s holiday schedule includes a special holiday racing card on Wednesday evening (November 24) with a special first-post of 4:00 p.m. (PT). Cal Expo will be dark on American Thanksgiving. The harness action will then resume on Friday (November 25) and Saturday nights (November 26).
(With files from Cal-Expo)