The $9,600 Robert Staats for pacing fillies and mares and a pair of Open II events are the main attractions on Saturday night’s (Jan. 9) program at Cal-Expo.
First post for the 14-race card is 4:50 p.m. PST.
The Staats occupies the fourth race slot on the evening, while the Open II Pace goes as the second and the Open II Distaff Pace is the eighth on the program.
On the wagering front, the 20-cent Hi-Five in the 12th race offers a $4,400 carryover and a $20,000 guaranteed gross pool. There are also three wagers offered each night with a reduced 16 per cent takeout rate: the 20-cent early and late Pick-5s and the 20-cent Pick-4, with the latter featuring a $25,000 guaranteed gross pool.
Looking at the Open II Pace, Proof went a long mile last week in his California debut and finished well back as the even-money favourite with stablemate Allmyxsliventexas taking the bow. With the race under his belt and a cleaner trip, he could easily make amends this weekend.
Like Allmyxsliventexas, Proof races for Wayne and Rodney Knittel with Bob Johnson conditioning. Nick Roland has the driving assignment. Proof is closing in on $500,000 in earnings with a 1:48.1 career standard that was set two years ago at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Following a sensational qualifier on Dec. 11 in which he waltzed home with 17 lengths to spare in a 1:52.4 tour, Proof had the No. 9 slot in his first start since early October and ended up hung the mile and tired.
Hoo Nien A looms large for his owner, driver and trainer Gerry, Longo and should appreciate getting away from Allmyxsliventexas for this go-around. The nine-year-old, who has $190,000 in his bank account and a 1:50.4 mark, completed the exacta in last week’s Open while rallying from last.
Delightfully Wild Reaches new plateau
The eight-year-old pacing mare Delightfully Wild reached the $200,000 mark in earnings with her upset in last Sunday night’s (Jan. 2) opener.
The daughter of Bettors Delight races for Richard Morita and David Yamada. Cordarius Stewart was in the sulky for conditioner Jessie Pacheco.
Stewart guided Delightfully Wild more like the favourite than a 15-1 shot, brushing to command at the half and taking complete control of the mile from that point, reporting to the wire with 3-1/2 lengths to spare.
It was the 36th lifetime snapshot for the mare, who sports a 1:51.1 lifetime standard that was established three years ago over the five-eighths-mile Pocono oval.
“David and I got Delightfully Wild out of the Delaware sale at the end of her three-year-old campaign,” Morita related. “She showed some speed but was erratic and definitely had a mind of her own.
“Lino and Jessie (Pacheco) turned her into a nice race mare, and she’s proven to be tough on both the five-eighths and mile tracks, but I think her best game as five-eighths if you look at her overall record at Running Aces and her lifetime mark in Pennsylvania.
“We look forward to racing her for another couple of years and then expect she will make someone a special broodmare at some point. Those Bettors Delight mares have been very good producers and seem to be in demand.”
(Cal-Expo)