Lickcreek Speedway has steadily picked up her game since arriving from Indiana and looms the one to beat in Friday night’s (Dec. 7) Annette Funicello-Glen Holt Pace at Cal-Expo for owner Jennifer Scarberry and driver-trainer James Kennedy.
The three-year-old daughter of Sand Shooter had been racing at Hoosier Park with mixed results while leaving from some difficult posts, but seems to have found a nice home at Cal-Expo.
“I got her at the beginning of the meet from Jacob Fox,” Kennedy related when asked about the distaffer. “She’d been making breaks and he told me I had to be careful with her on the first turn.”
Lickcreek Speedway made a miscue in her first Cal-Expo start on opening night, but has been on her best behaviour in the last two appearances, resulting in a near-miss and then a solid score as the favourite in last week’s Funicello Prep.
“I made some adjustments after that first start here to her hobbles and her headgear and it’s been working,” James said. “I was real happy with the way she finished in her second start and it all came together last week.
“The plan was to let her settle in on the first turn and then make a move down the backside. She ended up getting parked first-over, but she was real strong and I never even had to pull the earplugs or really ask her for her best.”
Lickcreek Speedway is one of two performers Kennedy currently has under his care, and he explains that’s pretty much the way he likes it. “Both horses are owned by friends, and right now I prefer to concentrate on the driving.”
Completing the field are Dancers Fancy (Mooney Svendsen), Lookslikewemadeit (Nathan Sobey), Sing N Sandi (Dean Magee), Thats How It Goes (Richard Schneider), Rosebuds First (Steve Wiseman), Hot Dandy (Chip Lackey) and Glad To Meet Ya (Luke Plano).
The co-featured Open Pace will find Dave Goldschmidt Memorial winner Allymyxsliventexas seeking his fourth straight win at the meet, while the Mares Open finds stablemates Fancy Little Girl and Totally Racy in the spotlight. Dougs Hobby Horse and Silverhill Volo square off in a rematch in the Open Trot.
(Cal-Expo)