Directing Traffic heads into this Friday’s races at Cal Expo riding a two-race winning streak, which includes a narrow victory in the track’s Filly and Mare Open Pace at most recent asking. In that race, Directing Traffic closed with a :27 final quarter to seal the deal with driver Luke Plano.
Directing Traffic, who is a six-year-old daughter of Real Desire, competes for Junior Wilkinson and Billie Schwartz and hails from the Wilkinson barn.
“We bought her as a yearling from the Kentucky sale and she’s been a solid performer for us,” Wilkinson noted. “She’s had some physical issues, but she’s shown what she can do with the right trip.”
The right trip?
“That would be making the last move, which is what she does best,” Junior explained. “She always gives you a generous finish when she can sit back and come late.”
That’s exactly what the bay mare has done in her last two scores, the first of which came over a ‘sloppy’ track, and that last of which came aboard firm footing. On both occasions she was well back in the early stages and saved her best for last to get the picture taken.
“She wasn’t really ready for her top effort at the start of the meet, but she’s racing into form now,” Wilkinson said. “The thing is, with her style, sometimes she’s going to be compromised by the shape of the race.”
Friday night’s Cal Expo card features a $12,658 carryover in the Pick 6 with a $25,000-guaranteed gross pool.
The Pick 6 is conducted on the final six races of the night and is a 50-cent wager. Last Saturday night, despite two favourites winning – including even-money Directing Traffic in the Distaff Open, as well as a 2-1 shot – there were no correct tickets in the sequence.
In addition to the carryover and guaranteed pool for the Pick 6, there are a pair of wagers offered at Cal Expo each card that come with a reduced 16 per cent takeout rate. They are the 50-cent Pick 5, which is held on the first five races on the program, and the 20-cent Pick 4. The latter comes with a $50,000-guranteed gross pool on Saturdays and a $30,000 guarantee on Fridays.
First post for the Friday program, which is conducted under the banner of Watch and Wager LLC, is 6:10 p.m. There will also be three California Sire Stakes for three-year-olds decided as non-betting races prior to the regular card.
(With files from Cal Expo)