A $6,700 filly and mare Open Pace and a pair of $7,000 California Sires Stakes for three-year-olds have received the marquee treatment for this Friday (March 6) evening at Cal Expo.
Watch and Wager LLC will present 11 races and first post is at 6:10 p.m. The sires stakes have been carded as the first and fifth events on the evening, while the distaff open occupies the sixth-race slot.
Alwaysalittlemore will look to get back to the winner’s circle after having been disqualified from victory last weekend (she was tossed for having gone inside the pylons in the stretch).
A six-year-old daughter of Always A Virgin, Alwaysalittlemore carries the banner of Maria Alvarez and Terrence Smith. Edwin Hernandez does the training and Luke Plano performs the driving duties.
Alwaysalittlemore has posed for pictures following three of her seven starts this season, including a 1:52.3 lifetime-best performance (two of those scores have come at Cal Expo’s open level).
Looking at the sires stakes, Its Pointless is a standout in the male division after having dominated his rivals in coast-to-coast fashion in the initial stakes dance two weeks ago. The Mark Anderson homebred is by Kents On Nuke, hails from the Gordie Graham barn, and will once again be piloted by James Kennedy.
Prom Queen accounted for the first distaff sires stakes two weeks ago, as she upset the favoured Debit Or Credit that night. Prom Queen is a daughter of Little Steven who was bred by Robin Clements and Desomer Stables Inc., is owned by Clements and has Nick Roland on a return assignment.
There is a carryover of $19,269 in 10-cent Single 6 Friday night, with the sequence beginning on the fifth race.
There are also two wagers offered at Cal Expo with a reduced 16 per cent takeout rate (the 20-cent Pick 5 and 20-cent Pick 4), and the Pick 4 comes with a $40,000 guaranteed gross pool on Saturdays and $30,000 on Fridays.
(With files from Cal Expo)