A pair of $15,000 California Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old fillies head the Friday night (April 23) action at Cal-Expo, with One Hot Tamale seeking her fourth trophy in the pacing event, while Exquisite Gem will be attempting a big-money encore in the trotting contest.
 
One Hot Tamale is a homebred daughter of Distinigushedbaron who carries the banner of Wayne Knittel with Rick Plano doing the driving and training.  She won two of the four stakes for her division last year, and narrowly prevailed over the fast-closing Just Plum Lucky in the first added-money affair of the season two weeks ago.
 
The bay miss picked up her first stakes score over a sloppy track on November 20, parlaying a pocket trip into a nearly four-length victory.  She set her lifetime standard of 1:55.4 in the next stakes dance on December 4, going coast to coast that evening in a 9-1/2-length romp.  She was runner-up to So Relentless in the final big-money race of last year.
 
With just a qualifier on her 2010 resume coming into the Spring round of Sire Stakes action two weeks ago, One Hot Tamale was hard used early and again to the final bend, but gamely battled it out the length of the stretch to hold safe by a nose over Just Plum Lucky as the even-money choice.
 
The latter is a Power Of Art offspring who is owned and was bred by Rick and Marlene Thomas, takes her lessons from George Reider and will have Luke Plano again at the controls.  She put in a big finish in her first stakes attempt and just fell short of posting an upset that evening, then returned last week to earn her graduation papers from a tough post.
 
Rounding out the field are Gee Up with Etienne Desomer; RW Island Spirit; Serengeti Sunset for Steve Hyman; Upcoming Prospect and Steve Wiseman; Amazon Dot; and So Relentless with John Chappell.
 
 
Looking at the trotting event, which will go as a non-betting race prior to the regular program, Betty Elizabeth was the star of the division last season with three stakes tallies, but she had to be happy with third money two weeks ago in the first 2010 added-money clash as Exquisite Gem got the job done in a surprise.
 
The latter is by Armbro Lothario and competes for Georgette, MJ and Sal Wenceslao with Raul Escobedo the conditioner and John Chappell once again giving directions.  Betty Elizabeth looks to return to her winning ways for the combination of owner/trainer/breeder Lisa Pilcher and driver Gene Vallandingham.  Completing the line-up are Lily Of Lodi with Rick Plano; Cash Creek for Tim Maier; and Acapluco Gold with Rocky Stidham.