With her sire stakes victory last week, Kissed The Boys now has the distinction of being a stakes winner on both the trot and the pace.
Kissed The Boys is a four-year-old Desomer Stables homebred daughter of Claudius Augustus, who passed away last month, out of the multiple stakes-winner and outstanding producer Charlottes Web.
A sire stakes winner last season while doing her work as a trotter, the bay miss has switched over the pacing for her current campaign and got the job done in the first stakes dance for that group with veteran Steve Desomer in the sulky.
“We’ve had trotters that were bred to pace and pacers that were bred to trot,” Vickie explained, “but this is the first time we’ve had a horse win stakes races on both gaits.
“Steve has always been enthusiastic about Kissed The Boys. She has the same staying power as her siblings, but has had some issues behind the gate. He felt that if she could get away safely the other night, she would be competitive.”
Kissed The Boys just did that and was able to get the job done and earn another trophy in a race that did see her rivals get in some trouble behind her at the head of the stretch.
Vickie noted that this was the first pacer for Charlottes Web, who has been represented by stakes-winning trotters Silverlode, Cadet and Placer. “Sadly, Charlotte failed to get in foal to Claudius Augustus last year and she was bred to Ice Machine,” she added.
OPEN TROT, SOPHOMORE SIRE STAKES ON TAP
A $6,000 Open Trot featuring Silverlode and the first California Sire Stakes for the three-year-old pacers headline Saturday evening’s program at Cal Expo.
There will be 13 races and first-race post time will be 6:15 p.m. The Open Trot is scheduled as the third race on the card and the two California Sire Stakes will be non-betting contests prior to the regular program.
Silverlode is an eight-year-old homebred daughter of British Sterling who races for ‘Team Desomer’ and will have Luke Plano at the controls. She has captured three of the six Open Trots decided during the current meet, finishing second behind Flameon in the other three top dances.
Taking her on this weekend are barnmate Cadet, My Little Susie, Lodi Dorian Blues, Windsun Galaxe and Franky Provolone.
Looking at the sire stakes for pacing colts, Army Of One is a homebred son of Hi Ho Silverheels out of the Artsplace mare Aftermath who carries the banner and Wayne and Rod Knittel with Bob Johnson the conditioner and Mooney Svendsen in the sulky.
After getting a good tightener in his January 14 unveiling at Cal Expo, the bay performer has come back with two huge efforts. He earned his graduation papers on January 27 when he sat a pocket trip for Svendsen and proved strongest in the stretch for a length and a quarter score with a 1:57.3 clocking.
Wheeled back last weekend, Army Of One hooked up with a sharp Indiana invader in Gorgeous For Real and turned in another giant mile, missing by only a half-length to that 2-5 favourite in a sharp 1:54.3 tour of the Cal Expo oval.
(Cal Expo)