Hay Hay Alright, who just missed in last week’s Alan Horowitz Memorial, and Capitol Hill, fresh from a $70 upset at most recent asking, get the top billing in Friday night’s co-features at Cal Expo.
There will be nine races decided under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with things getting underway at 6:45 p.m.
Hay Hay Alright faces a solid field of pacers in the sixth race, leaving from the cozy inside post for his owner/trainer/driver Ryan Grundy. The seven-year-old son of Vertical Horizon closed out 2021 with six snapshots from his 27 appearances.
Sent off the 2-1 second choice in the Horowitz, he sat back early as is his custom and began to pick up momentum behind a long cover train past the half. He finished strongly but came up a neck short of getting Northbrook Ron that evening while well clear of the rest.
Gear Upn Go Moe, the beaten favourite in that contest, will also suit up in Friday’s co-feature for owners John Schwarz Jr. and Kyle Husted and conditioner Quentin Schneider. He accounted for one of the divisions of the first leg of the Horowitz.
In the companion feature for pacing fillies and mares, Grundy will also be at the controls behind Capitol Hill while leaving from the inside post. Sent off at 34-1 last week, she showed some of her past class as she rallied from last to post the length upset.
An 11-year-old daughter of Badlands Hanover, Capitol Hill races for Eileen Brodbar and Kathie Plested and takes her lessons from Plested. She was recording her 29th career victory last Sunday evening while pushing her earnings over $173,000 with a 1:53.2 mark.
When the early Pick 5 went unhit last Sunday evening, the result was a $19,556 carryover and Cal Expo has guaranteed a $75,000 gross pool when the 20-cent wager is renewed on Friday evening.
The early Pick 5 covers the first through fifth races on the program. The early Pick 5, along with the 20-cent late Pick 5 and 20-cent Pick 4, is offered at a reduced 16 per cent takeout rate and there is a $25,000 guaranteed gross pool on the Pick 4.
There is also an $8,221 carryover in the 20-cent Pick 6 on Friday.
(With files from Cal Expo)