After 54 years, live harness racing at Cal Expo came to an end on Friday, May 2 with trainer Greig Watson's pacer Daniels Son and driver James Kennedy winning the Sacramento, California track's final race.
In the $5,556 finale, Kennedy sent the 6-5 favourite Daniels Son ($4.50) first-up from the backfield approaching the half and the six-year-old Black Daniels gelding wore down pacesetter Better Style and Mooney Svendsen in deep stretch for the 1:55.3 victory by three-quarters of a length. Mikis Magic Ride finished third after getting a pocket trip in rein to Jessie Pacheco.
The California Exposition & State Fair Board announced last Friday that it terminated the current lease agreement with Watch and Wager, which has operated harness racing at the Sacramento oval since 2012. Beginning on Dec. 13, 2024, the final meet consisted of 39 race dates.
"After 54 years of live action at Cal Expo, tonight appears to be the last night of horse racing in Sacramento," said a statement from Watch and Wager. "We are very sad and somewhat outraged that a long-term agreement and viable enterprise would be ended so abruptly, and with such short notice. The livelihood of many families lies in the balance.
"Watch and Wager would like to thank our great staff, fans & patrons, contractors and the California Harness Horsemen for their dedication and support.
"Watch and Wager shall endeavour to explore alternative options to keep the long history of harness racing alive in California!"
The final 14-race card at Cal Expo featured a pair of $69,444 California Sire Stakes championships for four-year-old pacers.
North America's winningest Standardbred of the season, Overthemoonforyou ($2.40) completed a sweep of the California Sire Stakes for pacing mares, taking the championship title with Aaron Lehman driving for trainer Quentin Schneider.
Sent postward as the overwhelming 1-5 favourite following victories in four preliminary legs during the Cal Expo meet, Overthemoonforyou chased the gate away and led the field of seven mares through panels of :28.3, :57.3 and 1:25.4 without a challenge until deep stretch when she held off the pocket-popping Over Ice (Nick Roland) by a head in 1:54.2. Closing from last, Apple Juice (Brett Erickson) rounded out the top three, finishing five lengths behind.
Overthemoonforyou extended her current win streak to seven and the Karpathian-Moon Rising mare is now 12-for-13 on the year for owner Qks Racing.
Celebrity Status ($2.40) stole the spotlight in the California Sire Stakes championship for male pacers with Luke Plano subbing in the sulky for trainer/driver Nick Roland, who booked off sick.
With modest early speed at the start of the race, Plano fired 1-5 favourite Celebrity Status, who had won three prelims, from third to first by the quarter pole in :29 and never looked back, setting middle splits of :58 and 1:26.3 en route to a 3-1/4-length triumph in 1:55 flat. Sylvester (John MacDonald) edged out the winner's stablemate, Rocklikeahurricane (James Kennedy), in a photo for place.
Celebrity Status, a homebred gelding by Vlos out of Wild About Eagle, earned his fifth consecutive victory and improved to seven-for-11 on the year for Set The Pace Racing.
Despite drifting out and losing momentum off the final turn in the $41,667 Alan Horowitz Free-For-All Pace, Sign Of The Times ($18.60) was urged on to victory by driver Mooney Svendsen. Owned by trainer Rick Bertrand and Ashlee Glader, the five-year-old Special Forces gelding edged out duelling rivals Alilthundadownunda (Nick Roland) and favoured Its Pointless (James Kennedy) in a last-to-first 1:54.4 score on the undercard.
Dylan The Great ($33.40) pulled off a 15-1 upset in the $17,361 Stan Bergstein Free-For-All Trot, as the nine-year-old Break The Bank K gelding prevailed off a pocket trip in 1:54.4 in rein to Sean Smithpeters for trainer Alexia Kehl and owner David Dobbelmann.
A $9,722 race named in memory of horseman and racing official Walter Petersen, who passed away in December, went to 7-5 bettors' choice Tommy Shelby ($2.80) in 1:52.4. The six-year-old Downbytheseaside gelding has proven to be a profitable claim by trainer/driver John MacDonald, winning seven races in a row.
Despite his absence during the back half of the card, Nick Roland took both the driving and training titles for the final meet.
(Standardbred Canada)