Open Trot headlines Friday program

Pridecrest, who had a four-race win streak snapped when runner-up in the Gary Budahn Free-For-All two weeks ago, looks to get back on the winning track in Friday night’s featured $7,700 Open Trot.

There will be nine races conducted under the Watch and Wager LLC banner and things will get underway at 6:45 p.m.

Pridecrest is a 12-year-old son of Angus Hall who races for Chris Schick, takes his lessons from Kathie Plested and will as usual have Mooney Svendsen in the sulky.

He comes into this assignment with 60 wins from his 241 starts, $533,000 in his account and a mark of 1:53 2/5 that was established over this course seven years ago.

He won four straight starts between late January and early March, including the Joe Lighthill, putting his class and versatility on display in the process.

Sent off the close second choice in the March 17 Gary Budahn, Pridecrest tracked Jack Rabbit Slims most of the mile and was no match, finishing two and three-quarters of a length behind that rival while clear of the rest.

Louis was third in the Budahn and would appear to be the main threat for owner David Dobbelmann, trainer Darryl Cutting and pilot Jake Cutting. He has an Open and an Open II victory to his credit this season.

Completing the cast are Peter’s Royalty, Silverhill Volo, Help Page, Daytona Dreamin and Mandeville

Help Page, Senga Nightmare get pictures taken

Help Page and Senga Nightmare both scored popular victories last week for trainers Alexia Kehl and Ryan Grundy, respectively.


Help Page was winning his second straight since getting some class relief, doing the perfect track-and-attack for regular pilot Sean Smithpeters.


Alexia Kehl is a 33-year-old Wisconsin native who always had a love of horses, but it wasn’t until about 15 years ago that she found herself in the world of harness racing while working as a groom for Dave Magee at the then new Running Aces in Minnesota.


She took out her training license in 2011 and has steadily built her reputation and is now spending her second season here at Cal Expo with Help Page giving her three snapshots from eight appearances on the year.


On that same program, the hard-hitting Senga Nightmare got the job done in facile fashion for the 23rd time in her 98-race career for her owner/driver/trainer Ryan Grundy.


Sent off the mild 9-5 choice in that conditioned affair, Senga Nightmare made it look easy as she brushed to the front down the backside was never challenged thereafter while posting a four and three-quarter length romp.


“I’ve had her since her first start,” Grundy noted about the daughter of Vertical Horizon. “I guess you would describe her as being workmanlike and a pleasure to have in the barn.”

Distaffers clash in Sunday’s Alan Kirschenbaum Pace

Graceful Horizon, who has five victories at the head of the class this season, gets top billing in Sunday night’s featured $12,500 Alan Kirschenbaum DHA Pace for filies and mares.

The Kirschenbaum will highlight an 11-race Watch and Wager LLC program that is set to get underway at 5:35 p.m.

Graceful Horizon is a 6-year-old daughter of Vertical Horizon who carries the banner of Set The Pace Racing LLC with Nick Roland doing the driving and training.

She made a rare break on the first turn in last weekend’s Distaff Open, but a repeat of either of her two previous miles would make her very tough in the Kirschenbaum.

She was a game winnner of the March 8 DHA Pace after being hard used in the early stages, then had an easier time on the front end a week later while taking the Open in a 1:53 2/5 mile.

Graceful Horizon will be gunning for her 30th victory from 75 lifetime trips to the post with $275,000 in the bank and a mark of 1:52 1/5 that was established two years ago.

Divine Art has been knocking on the door in her last few starts and looms a major threat while Give Me This Dance also has some solid wins at this meet to her credit. Wish I Had Thyme, Senga Nightmare and Shirley Skip Shady round out the cast.

Race honors memory of Alan Kirschenbaum

Sunday’s Alan Kirschenbaum Pace is named for the longtime owner and breeder and past president of the California Harness Horsemen’s Association, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 51.


Kirschenbaum was a major factor in California as an owner, breeder and amateur driver for many years. With his stallions Little Steven and British Sterling standing at Cherry Tree Farm in Wilton, he helped support the industry in California.


In the past, he had even waived his stallion fees to help the California horsemen breed their mares to help the horse population survive in the Golden State. Alan was also a huge supporter of the California Sire Stakes and amateur races.


“Alan was one of my favorite people,” said David Neumeister, president of the California Harness Horsemen’s Association.


“Everybody liked him. His impact on harness racing in California is in evidence every night in the Cal Expo racing program.


“In addition to being a prolific breeder and amateur driver, Alan was a huge political force in California harness racing.


“He ran the breeders’ association for years. He also served on the CHHA board of directors for as long as I knew him. He is missed.”

California Sire Stakes moving in right direction

This meeting features a total of $420,000 in California Sire Stakes events, including a pair of $50,000 finales for 4-year-olds to be decided on May 3.

To give you some idea how things have improved, in 2017 there was a total of $54,000 paid out for the Sire Stakes with a pair of $10,000 finals.

The California Sire Stakes program was on the verge of extinction when legislation was passed in 2017 that opened up these races to horses bred in other jurisdictions.

Eligible now are horses from Alberta, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine and from only a dozen horses that were able to compete in 2016 there are now 60 eligible performers this year.

This was all due to the hard work of Watch and Wager, the Sire Stakes Committee and the California Harness Horseman’s Association working diligently with the state legislature.