Cenalta Call Girl is in the midst of a love affair with Cal Expo, having won five of her eight starts at this track since arriving from Canada with Rene Goulet.
Goulet owns the four-year-old homebred filly along with Helen and Myrna Empey and she’ll be looking for her third late-closer victory at the session in Saturday’s Marvin Shapiro Pace, having already accounted for the Annette Funicello and Robert Staats finales.
The bay mare prefers to save her best for last, and that was in evidence in her elimination heat last week, as she was double digits back in the early going, began to pick up momentum for Goulet turning for home, and was up by a half-length to prove a punctual favourite in a lifetime-best 1:55.1.
Goulet returned to Cal Expo from his native Canada in October along with his partner, Glenda Smith, after having been away from Sacramento for some 18 years, and the performances of Cenalta Call Girl have certainly been among the highlights of the meet.
“The people here are nice and friendly,” he noted. “It’s also nice to get away from that cold and snow.”
While Goulet cut his teeth on half-mile tracks in the Great White North, he has also done his share of driving on five-eighths and mile tracks. “I actually prefer a mile track like the one here at Cal Expo, because I like to let my horses sit and finish.”
Cenalta Call Girl has been doing just that, and she’ll try to add another feature race to her resume this weekend in the Shapiro.
MARVIN SHAPIRO PACE HEADLINES PROGRAM
The $9,300 Marvin Shapiro Pace for fillies and mares will hold centre stage at Cal Expo Saturday evening, and last weekend’s elimination winners Getter Queen Flush and Cenalta Call Girl among the major players.
The race is named for Marvin Shapiro, the son of L.K. Shapiro, who owned the Hall of Fame Thoroughbred and California-bred champion Native Diver. He was the president of Western Harness Racing Inc. in the 1960s and spearheaded legislation that sanctioned night racing in California. He passed away in 2003 at the age of 83.
Getter Queen Flush and Cenalta Call Girl both got the job done last week with solid come-from-behind scores while each going off at 8-5 odds with Nick Roland and Rene Goulet at the controls, respectively.
Getter Queen Flush is a six-year-old daughter of JK Royal Flush who comes for the team of Reider, Robinson, Thomas and Siegel with George Reider training and Nick Roland at the helm.
Sent off the co-favourite in last week’s second elimination heat, the long-fused distaffer was double digits off the lead in the early stages, steadily made headway while parked on the final end, and then came a :27.3 final quarter to seal the deal by a neck over another fast-finishing Window Wiper in 1:54.2.
Cenalta Call Girl is looking to capture her third late-closing event at the meet, having previously accounted for the Annette Funicello and Robert Staats finals. Rene Goulet reins and trains this Canadian-bred miss and co-owns with Helen and Myrna Empey.
Completing the field are Hi Fidelity, Window Wiper, Cenalta Diamond, Back Stock, Yeswellnomaybe, Lovers Holiday, La Madawna De Rosa and Centalta Cougar.
(Cal Expo)