El Azteca made a successful return to the races last weekend, capturing the Open Trot for his owner/breeder/trainer Marco Rios with James Kennedy at the helm, but there’s more to the story.
The five-year-old trotting son of Panama Hanover hadn’t seen evening action since June 5, when he won a conditioned affair at Hoosier Park as the 4-5 choice while lowering his lifetime mark to 1:54.3 in the process.
“He came out of the race with an injury and the vet told me there was only about a 20 per cent chance he would make it back to the races,” Rios related. “Three months later, when he checked him out again, he was very surprised and told me it was about 95 per cent that everything would be fine.”
El Azteca is the pride and joy of the Rios barn, with several sire stakes trophies on his mantle and earnings approaching the $120,000 mark. From his last 24 starts, 14 have ended up with smiles all around in the winner’s circle.
“I gave him a qualifier at Hoosier (September 24) before we left,” Rios explained. “Then I trained him pretty hard when we got here, which is why I didn’t put him in another qualifier. One thing about this horse, he always gives you 100 per cent.”
Kennedy was guiding El Azteca for the first time from the outside slot in last week’s gathering for the top trotters on the grounds, and ignited when it counted in the stretch to hang a head decision on another local favourite in Franks Best.
“James told me he drives just like a Cadillac,” Rios said. His mentor added that plans call for El Azteca to stay here through the meet, meaning fans and his Open Trot foes alike figure to see quite a bit of this determined performer.
El Azteca heads the cast for Saturday night’s featured $5,000 Open II Trot at Cal Expo.
A 15-race card is on tap with a first post of 5:40 p.m. Racing will be conducted Saturday this week, expanding to Saturday and Sunday programs beginning next week. Plans then call for a three-night-a-week schedule starting on December 26 with Friday racing added to the mix.
Like El Azteca, Franks Best is also owned and was bred by his trainer, Bob Johnson, and will once again have Mooney Svendsen in the sulky. The seven-year-old son of Armbro Scribe is just shy of the $200,000 earnings plateau and set his 1:56.2 career standard at Cal Expo two years ago.
Sharpshootennorris has to be given a long look after checking in second and third in the last two top dances for the trotting set at the Cal Expo meeting. Steve Wiseman reins and trains the $472,000 earner for Bette Jean Calice and the 11-year-old sports a 1:54 lifetime mark on his resume.
Rounding out the field, from the rail out, are Silverlode, with Steve Desomer guiding; Its Not Over and Chip Lackey; Sharpshotennorris, to be handled by Steve Wiseman; and Silence Son, who has the services of David Siegel.
(With files from Cal Expo)