A $4,200 race for pacing fillies and mares headed by Shesamysterytome and Shark Festival, and a $6,500 California Sire Stakes dash for four-year-old trotters will head the marquee at Cal Expo this Friday night (March 2).
First post for the 11-race program will be at 6:10 p.m.
Set to do battle in the first sire stakes event of the season for the four-year-old trotters are Lodi Jazz Player with Tony Succarotte; Bo Plenty, Leon Smith; Indio Azteca, to be guided by Gerry Longo; Gravel Girl for George Luster; and Never Onebadchange with Pierre Girard in the sulky.
Looking at the co-feature, Shesamysterytome is a four-year-old daughter of Mystery Chase who is owned by Ashleet Sluggett and Trevor Williams with Ryan Grundy reining and training. She established her 1:54.2 career standard at Cal Expo earlier in the meet.
The bay mare was runner-up to Blue Note in the Alan Kirschenbaum series final on February 2 and has come back with a third and a fourth-place finish while racing at the Open level in her last two outings. She had a tough, first-over trip when she faced a very sharp Delightfully Wild in last week’s appearance.
Shark Festival usually comes with a solid finish and has to be respected as she also drops out of the Open ranks for the Friday assignment. Medinah Racing and Scott Ehrlich own the Shadow Play mare with Kathie Plested (who trains). Steve Wiseman will drive on Friday.
She recorded her most recent score on January 13 in a conditioned event, as he exploded in the stretch to win going away by three quarters of a length with Mooney Svendsen at the controls. She has a 1:53.3 mark that was established two years ago.
(Cal Expo)