Officer Jim, who has captured five of his last six starts in sparkling fashion, heads the cast for Friday night’s $7,000 Open Handicap Pace at Cal Expo.
Watch and Wager LLC will conduct 11 betting races Friday with first post set for 6:45 p.m., and the co-feature on the evening is an $8,000 Filly and Mare Open Pace that brings out the likes of Lucky Lil Lady and Wonder of Love.
In the male division, Officer Jim is a red-hot seven-year-old son of American Ideal who is owned by Debra McCarthy and hails from the Michael Meza barn. Officer Jim began his recent hot streak with a conditioned score in late January, added two more wins at that level In February and has accounted for the last two Opens this month.
He sat a pocket trip to get the job done in a sizzling 1:51.4 two back with Sean Smithpeters at the controls, then proved a punctual 3-5 favourite last week over a sloppy track with James Kennedy doing the honours.
Looking to make it five wins in a row, Officer Jim is the 7-5 morning line favourite and has been assigned the outside post five, with Lemoyne Svendsen, who drove him to his Feb. 26 win, back aboard.
Dancin Lance has gone several powerful miles at this stand for owner Juan Pacheco and conditioner Leon Smith, with back-to-back Open scores on his resume early in this session. He’ll be looking to work out a good trip on Friday evening. Luke Plano is set to drive the 2-1 second choice on the morning line from post four.
Unfiltered, who will start from post three, has landed in the charmed circle after three of his last six trips to the post, including an Open tally over a sloppy track last month. His speed always has to be respected.
Keystone Tenacious and Firenado round out the cast from the inside two post positions.
Prior to the betting card, a pair of $20,000 California Sire Stakes divisions for three-year-old pacers will be contested as non-wagering events.
Rivalry renewed in Sunday's Kirschenbaum Memorial
Looking ahead to Sunday, the main event is the $12,500 Alan Kirschenbaum Memorial for the pacing mares and will give Divine Art and Give Me This Dance a chance to continue what has been an excellent rivalry at the meet.
Trained and driven by Gerry Longo, Divine Art has six wins at the meet, including victories in the Feb, 5 Diamond Alliance Free-for-All, a pair of Opens and a Sire Stakes, while the Jose Castillo stable's Give Me This Dance has accounted for two of their last three match-ups, including a Sire Stakes and an Open score.
Sunday's 13-race card begins at 4:55 p.m., with the Kirschenbaum field featured in the sixth race.
A reminder there are two wagers offered at Cal Expo each night that come with a reduced 16 per cent takeout rate -- the 20-cent early and late Pick 5 and the 20-cent Pick 4, with the latter featuring a $25,000 guaranteed gross pool.
Pacers and trotters rumble in Double Down
Anyone who plays blackjack knows the meaning of doubling down, but at Cal Expo, it also applies to harness racing.
The Double Down Invite, a unique event that matches trotters against pacers, has been run twice thus far at the meet.
For the record, the first Double Down was contested on Feb. 24 and was captured by the trotter Daytona Dreamin, while last week’s renewal saw the Alberta-bred pacer Infinite Horizon posing for pictures with driver/trainer Rene Goulet for owner Darlene Wheatley of Bawlf, Alta.
“Starter calls for the trotters … and pacers.”
(With files from Cal Expo)