Last Friday night was a productive one for driver Scott Cisco, as he guided El Azteca to his fifth straight victory in the opening leg of the Jim Grundy Trotting Series at Cal Expo and was also in the sulky for Babe Ridge’s first Sire Stakes decision.
El Azteca is one of the sharpest performers on the grounds at the moment and is the pride and joy of Marco Rios, who bred, owns and trains the four-year-old son of Panama Hanover. He already has his share of stakes trophies on the mantle and now has sights set on the Grundy crown.
“He had a week off before the first leg of the Grundy and Marco did a great job keeping him sharp,” Cisco related. “He’s so good that he can get the job done either on the front end or from behind right now and he’s just as game as a horse can be.”
Cisco was well aware that the trotter to beat last weekend was I Love New York, and that one’s cause was helped by the fact that he was able to show the way to the far turn without a challenge.
“I was definitely watching Bruce [Clarke],” Cisco noted. “At the half, my horse started to feel real sharp in the hole and I knew it was time to come out and go after the leader.
“When I Love New York started drifting out in the stretch, I ducked my horse inside and he really responded.”
At the wire, El Azteca had three-quarters of a length on I Love New York and the 1:56 clocking shaved a full second off his previous lifetime standard.
A bit earlier on the evening it was Cisco and the three-year-old pacing filly Babe Ridge who were posing for pictures after a Sire Stakes event. The John Darrah homebred is trained by Amanda Fraser and was winning for the third time in nine appearances on the season.
“We’ve taken our time with this filly and she’s getting better with every start. She does everything right.”
Can El Azteca and Babe Ridge keep the momentum going with Cisco at the controls? Stay tuned.
The second legs of the Jim Grundy Trotting Series and the Shelly Goudreau Pacing Series headline the Friday night action at Cal Expo, with El Azteca and I Love New York getting top billing in the Grundy while Mobil Big Gun and Ideal Smile head the Goudreau.
(Cal Expo)