Windsong Jack, runner-up in two of his three local appearances, looks to get the overdue snapshot in Sunday night’s featured $4,400 Open III Handicap Pace at Cal Expo.
A 14-race card is on tap under the banner of Watch and Wager LLC with first post set for 4:45 p.m.
Windsong Jack will leave from the outside post in Sunday’s headliner with Mooney Svendsen at the controls. The six-year-old son of Santanna Blue Chip races for Little Bapa LLC and takes his lessons from Gene Vallandingham.
The dark-hued performer was 4-5 when he made his Cal Expo debut in a November 12 Open and lost a heartbreaker that evening after carving out all the fractions and being overhauled late in a 1:54 mile.
He was again odds-on when wheeled back two weeks later at the top rung, but this time stopped badly. The Vallandingham trainee made his most recent start on December 17 in a conditioned/optional claiming affair and missed by three-quarters of a length in a solid outing.
Taking him on are Fort Knox, Bettermeboy, Why Ask Why, Dontdoubthelakers, Rusty Carter and Bestnotlie Handover.
Bettormeboy looks to get 2017 off to a fast start when he suits up in Sunday’s main event for owners Richard Morita and David Yamada and trainer Lino Pacheco. Luke Plano will do the honours.
The soon-to-be seven-year-old son of Bettors Delight made a half-dozen trips to the winner’s circle from 32 appearances in 2016, including a lifetime-best 1:52 performance over this layout.
Since returning from a summer campaign at Running Aces, he has a win, a second and a third from his last three trips to the post. The victory came over a bit easier on a sloppy track on December 3, followed by a third behind one of Sunday’s rivals in Windsong Jack.
“I’ve had Bettormeboy for a couple of years now and he gives his best,” trainer Pacheco noted at entry time. “He likes to come from off the pace, and sometimes that can hurt him when the race doesn’t set up right.
“Three starts back, when he was the favourite, he got stuck behind some very poor cover and I think it cost him the win. Then he raced over that sloppy track and put in a real big finish to win. I don’t think it really matters to him if it’s an off track or a fast track.”
Bettormeboy is coming off a third-place when last seen on December 17 and leaves from the No. 5 post for this go-around. “He had a little bit of traffic last time,” his mentor noted.
Pacheco has trained for Morita and Yamada for seven years and has sent out some solid performers for the pair over that time. “They’re great owners who let me do the training,” he said.
(with files from Cal Expo)