The $12,500 Lloyd Arnold Pace, headed by the streaking Officer Jim, and a $25,000 California Sire Stakes for the three-year-old males, featuring Polar Storm, are the main attractions on Friday night’s Cal Expo program.
There will be eight races presented under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with first post at 7:05 p.m.
Officer Jim is the hottest horse on the grounds as he comes into the Arnold having rattled off seven straight victories.
The seven-year-old son of American Ideal has been on an absolute tear this season while making five of his recent starts at the Open level for owner Debra McCarthy and trainer Michael Meza.
Mooney Svendsen has been handling the lines in his last three victories, including the most recent two weeks ago when he toured the oval in a sparkling 1:51 flat while establishing a new lifetime standard.
Taking him on Friday are: A Major Omen, from the Gerri Longo barn; Handsome Harvey, conditioned by Luke Plano; the Bob Johnson-trained Allmyxsliventexas; and Trey Rockette, who hails from the Jose Castillo shedrow.
Looking at the Sire Stakes, Polar Storm is a son of Wind Me Up who is owned and was bred by Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte, and trained by Jose Catillo.
After finishing third in the first stakes dance in late March, he did the perfect track-and-attack to account for last week’s clash with Shawn Thater at the controls while drawing off late by a length and a half in a lifetime 1:54.3 mile.
Bettors Promise, Pancetta stand the test of time
Between them, Bettors Promise and Pancetta have made 530 starts, and last week they were both seen posing for pictures for owners Richard Morita and David Yamada and trainer Lino Pacheco.
Bettors Promise is a 12-year-old son of Bettors Delight who stalked perfectly for Mooney Svendsen while recording victory No. 33 in his 302nd appearance and upping his earnings over $277,000.
“He’s certainly been an iron horse for us,” Morita related after the win. “We bought him late in his three-year-old season and he really came around about a year after that.
“He’s raced and won at Yonkers and won in the Open class at Running Aces. He’s also been in some of the top races over the years, including the Dan Patch and really likes a fifth-eighths track.
“At 12, he’s lost a little, but he can still show his class like he did the other night.”
While Bettors Promise was a juicy 8-1 in his score on Friday, stablemate Pancetta proved a punctual even-money favourite in his Sunday score with Jessie Pacheco doing the honours.
It was the 48th lifetime tally for Pancetta, who has more than $550,000 earned and a 1:51.1 mark that was set at Pocono Downs. Having celebrated his 14th birthday in January, this will be his last year of racing for the diminutive pacer with the large heart.
(With files from Cal Expo)