Rockinaroundheaven, a punctual favourite in her Cal Expo debut, will look to keep the momentum going in Monday night’s feature for pacing fillies and mares.
Watch and Wager LLC will present a 14-race card on Monday with first post at an earlier 4:45 p.m. The headliner has been carded as the second race of the evening.
In addition to the special Monday program, this week will find the trotters and pacers in action on Friday, December 30, and Sunday, January 1. The following week will see a return to Friday and Saturday night cards.
Rockinaroundheaven is a three-year-old daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven who carries the banner of Kenneth Seastrom and is reined and trained by Chip Lackey. She heads into her Monday assignment having posed for pictures following three of her nine lifetime trips to the post.
The bay sophomore began her career in Chicago and set her 1:56.4 standard at Hawthorne Race Course in August. She finished up her midwest campaign with a pair of seconds and a third, narrowly missing on each occasion.
After a nice tightener in a Cal Expo qualifier on December 9, the Seastrom colourbearer was ready for action eight nights later, as she validated her 6-5 backing with a powerful move to the lead on the final bend en route to a length and a half victory with Lackey.
Taking her on Monday, from the rail out: Very Western, Listentotheheart, Chilma, Little Emma, Delightfully Wild, Afaceinthecrowd, Yeswellnomaybe and Moonstone Beach.
SWEET ONE HAPPY WITH NEW SURROUNDINGS
No need to ask Indiana invader Sweet One if she enjoys California, as the pacing mare has two wins from three starts since arriving at Cal Expo, including a victory in the Robert Staats final at most recent asking.
A four-year-old daughter of Art Major, Sweet One is owned and trained by Rick Cisco and has been handled in her last two trips to the post by Mooney Svendsen. She lowered her lifetime mark to 1:56.2 with the Staats decision.
“I bought here through Chip Lackey,” Cisco related. “She’s not very big and on the chunky side, but it looks like she has heart and some ability. All three of her races here have been solid.”
Sweet One closed out her Indiana Downs campaign with a victory on November 11, then made her local debut in a conditioned event at Cal Expo on December 3 and came from far back to prevail with Steve Wiseman at the controls.
She was a game third in the Robert Staats prep at next asking while doing her work from the demanding Post 9 while joining forces with Svendsen. She then did the track-and-attack to perfection from Post 4 and was up by a neck over favoured The Bearded Lady to account for the Staats final.
“After Mooney drove her that first time, he told me he was impressed because she was trying so hard the entire way,” Cisco explained. “He gave her a perfect drive last time and she responded.”
Interestingly, Cisco still doesn’t know why Sweet One missed her entire three-year-old campaign, but she’s certainly finishing her four-year-old season in style and he’s looking forward to more photo sessions with the bay miss.
(Cal Expo)