Northbrook Ron, who lost a heartbreaker in last week’s top dance, will be back for more in Friday night’s featured $7,000 Open Pace at Cal Expo.
Watch and Wager LLC will present nine races beginning at 6:45 p.m. with the main event scheduled as the seventh race.
The third race of the evening will honour the memory of owner/driver/trainer Hank MacDougall.
Northbrook Ron is a seven-year-old son of A Rocknroll Dance who is owned by Nathalie Tremblay and will once again have Luke Plano giving directions.. He has captured 25 of his 144 starts and set his lifetime mark of 1:52.1 over this track earlier this year.
He will appreciate getting away from Mystery Dragon, who has beaten him in both his starts at this meet, including last week’s Open where he sat a pocket trip and just missed in a 1:55.1 mile.
Northbrook Ron, who will start from post seven, is listed as 5-1 on the morning line behind 3-1 favourite Alilthundadownunda (post three) and 7-2 second choice A Major Omen (post eight). Completing the field are Stening A, Maui, Trey Rockette, Major Offense and Hoo Nien.
Reagan Blue Chip has sights on Will Meyers Memorial
Reagan Blue Chip will attempt to keep his record perfect at this meet in Sunday’s $16,200 Will Meyers Memorial Pace.
The son of American Ideal was a 7-1 upset winner on opening night off a live cover trip, then proved a punctual even-money choice in one of last week’s two Meyers eliminations in a game first-over trip with James Kennedy guiding.
Reagan Blue Chip is trained by Nathalie Tremblay, who also co-owns the six-year pacer with Dave Kuri.
“I bought him at the end of July,” noted Tremblay. “He was racing at Pocono and I thought he would be helped by racing over a mile course because he always seemed to be running out of racetrack at the wire.
“He raced three times at Running Aces and won once, and then we brought him out here with the Meyers being our first objective.
“I was a little surprised he won that first race, because there were some nice horses in that field and then he proved the best the other night. I think it really helped that James [Kennedy] got to know his quirks in that first start here.”
Tremblay pointed out that Regan Blue Chip was always cut out to be a good one, fetching $90,000 as a yearling purchase and putting up a 1:51 mark at Woodbine Mohawk Park three years ago.
(With files from Cal Expo)