This meet at Cal Expo has been a homecoming of sorts for David Shell’s California-bred Legio X Equestris, and she has turned in some big efforts while racing with the top distaff pacers on the grounds.
The five-year-old daughter of Roll With Joe, who was a 1:52 victress at Pocono last year, dominated conditioned rivals here in 1:53.2 last month for Luke Plano, and is coming off back-to-back solid tries in the Filly and Mare Open.
“She’d been racing in Indiana, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and David wanted to bring her home for the winter,” said Plano. “Even though I was racing her for the first time at this meet, I trained her a bit as a two-year-old before she made her first start.”
Plano admits it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster return to California for Legio X Equestris, she has shown her ability more often than not.
“When she came out, she shipped from New York to Indiana, then on to here, and I don’t think we realized how much it had taken out of her. There were also a few health issues along the way, but now everything seems to be fine.”
In last week’s top dance for the distaff set, Legio X Equestris brushed to the lead at half for Luke, putting up solid fractions of :55.3 and 1:23.4 before being overpowered in the late stages by Dancingonthesand.
“I’ll tell you one thing about this mare...she loves to play the hard way,” Plano added.
Dancingonthesand, Silverlode among top players
An Open Trot that sees the return of Silverlode and an extremely contentious Filly and Mare Open Pace are the main attractions on Cal Expo’s Saturday night program. Watch and Wager LLC presents 11 races with first post at 6:15 p.m.
Silverlode is a 10-year-old daughter of British Sterling out of the Website mare Charlottes Web who comes into this assignment with $243,000 in earnings and a 1:54.3 mark that was established last season.
The hard-hitting mare, who is owned by Medinah Racing and Kathie Plested, with Plested training and Steve Wiseman in the sulky, has posed for pictures following four of her seven trips to the post in 2019.
She suits up this weekend riding a three-race winning streak while making her first start since March 16, when she crushed her rivals by four a half-lengths as the prohibitive 2-5 favourite while doing her work from the No. 10 slot, which will again be the case this time around.
Looking at the Distaff Open, Dancingonthesand is a four-year-old daughter of A Rocknroll Dance who goes about her business for Alan Cooper and Kathie Plested with Plested training and Mooney Svendsen handling the lines.
The bay miss has returned to greet her connections in the winner’s circle following six of eight appearances this season and shaved a second and two fifths off her lifetime record with last week’s sparkling 1:53 score.
Sent off at 9-2 from her outside post in the field of seven, Dancingonthesand was unhurried in the early stages following strong fractions, swung off cover into the drive and went on to the length and a half decision.
(Cal Expo)