An Open Trot featuring Dylan The Great, All Champy and Lous Lancelot gets the marquee treatment on Friday, Feb. 28 at Cal Expo.
Dylan The Great picked up his second victory of the year in last week’s $11,000 Open Trot, as he was reserved early, made a sweeping move on the second turn and went on to an easy decision in a strong mile with Sean Smithpeters at the helm. The nine-year-old son of Break The Bank K was victorious in 1:57.2 by more than two lengths over Pridecrest in a short field of just four with the favourite, Lous Lancelot, out of contention early after a break in stride.
Trained by Alexia Kehl and owned by David Dobblemann, Dylan The Great will be looking to double up in the Open Handicap this Friday night. He will start from post three and has been assessed as the 6-1 fourth choice on the morning line as he will take on eight other rivals this time out.
The 9-5 favourite, All Champy, has gone a number of big races at this meet and should have a major say in the outcome after missing last week’s top dance for the sidewheelers. The 11-year-old Explosive Matter gelding had a brutal trip in the Open three weeks ago and will be looking for some revenge for driver Nick Roland, trainer Kathie Plested and owner Steve Chambers. All Champy will start from post nine.
The aforementioned Lous Lancelot has three Open victories to his credit this season and lost all chance last week when he made an early miscue. The six-year-old gelded son of Lous Legacy will attempt to rebound from post four with Luke Plano back aboard for trainer Chip Lackey and owner Elliott Gorov.
Watch and Wager LLC will present nine races on Friday with first post set for 6:45 p.m.
Looking ahead to Saturday night, the Open Pace will command the spotlight with Its Pointless, Sign Of The Times and Alilthundadownunda headlining that field.
The Minnesota Kid wins first Sire Stakes; Yerderntootin displays some promise
The Minnesota Kid is the leader of the California Sire Stakes three-year-old male pace division after going coast-to-coast in the first big money dance for this group last Friday, Feb. 21. A Minnesota champion as a freshman, the Karpathian Kid-Docdor Libby gelding was a 1:58 winner in his sophomore debut in the $28,169 stakes event with Luke Plano driving for trainer Jose Castillo and owner Stephanie Longo.
Yerderntootin, driven by Chip Lackey and trained by Bob Johnson, certainly had an eventful journey in the first Sire Stakes for the three-year-old pacing males, finishing second as a 27-1 shot behind the favoured The Minnesota Kid.
Yerderntootin is a Wayne Knittel homebred son of Proof out of Aftermath who has been sold to Gerald Longo since his last race.
Despite making an early miscue and spotting the field nearly double digits at the quarter and then suffering interference from a breaking rival into the lane, Yerderntootin ignited late to complete the exacta in a solid second lifetime trip to the post.
“He’s still very green,” related Johnson. “He seems like he has talent, he just needs to figure a few things out and he’ll come around.”
The next Sire Stakes for this group is in two weeks, giving the lightly raced pacer a bit more time to fully get his act together.
“I’ll race him in some overnights to get him some more experience before the next stakes race,” said Johnson.
(With files from Cal Expo)