Dougsmonkeybusines is one of the hottest horses on the grounds at Cal Expo with four straight trips to the winner’s circle, including a victory in last week’s California Sire Stakes for the three-year-old pacing males.
The Wind Me Up homebred races for Doug Flores and trainer Rick Bertrand, and has been handled in his last trio by Luke Plano.
“He’s a real nice colt and getting better all the time,” Plano related after last week’s trophy earner where he tracked the pacesetting Polar Storm, attacked in the stretch and prevailed in 1:54.4 by a head over the ironically-named Lukes Proclamation.
Dougsmonkeybusines was winless in 10 starts last season, but has really come into his own at this meet with Bertrand doing the honours in his first win of the streak and Plano picking up the lines for the most recent scores.
“He was green last year in Minnesota and a bit hard to steer, but Rick gave him some time to grow up and now he handles with no problem like an older horse,” said Plano.
Plano appears to be on his way to adding another leading driver plaque to his mantle as he holds a 10-win lead over Mooney Svendsen going into the final eight cards of the meet.
“I’ve got more of my own horses here than I’ve had before and I’ve also been fortunate to get some very live catch drives,” he noted.
Nebble Hanover, Major Offense headline Cal Expo Friday features
Nebble Hanover, a beaten favourite in her two efforts off the bench, and Major Offense, who is making his first appearance in over a month, may rate the slight edge in Friday night’s co-features for pacers at Cal Expo.
There will be 10 races conducted under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with the action getting underway at 6:40 p.m.
Nebble Hanover is a five-year-old daughter of Well Said who is owned, trained and driven by Chip Lackey. She may be set for her best mile while making her third outing after being away since January.
The Lackey representative was even-money in her first try off the bench two weeks ago but never got into the hunt, then was parked to the lead in a sizzling :55.4 half in her last trip to the post and paid the price in the stretch.
Nebble Hanover will start from post four in the eighth race $8,000 top tier Atmospheric River Pace for fillies and mares. She is the 9-5 morning line favourite.
In the co-feature for male pacers, Major Offense would appear to be the class of the field but will have to overcome five weeks without a race. The Art Major gelding goes about his business for Barbara Arnstine, Steve Chambers and Kathie Plested with Plested the conditioner and Mooney Svendsen doing the driving honours.
Major Offense has been mixing it up with the best pacers on the grounds this season and will be hard to deny with this group if he’s ready for anything near his best mile.
He is the 7-5 morning-line choice from the inside post.
Looking ahead to Sunday, a pair of $20,000 California Sire Stakes for the four-year-olds will headline the card with Divine Art and Give Me This Dance renewing their rivalry in the distaff event while Worthy Opponent and JP Jetty loom large among the males.
(With files from Cal Expo)