You can make a pretty good case for every pacer in Thursday’s (May 27) headliner at Cal-Expo, a $2,300 affair that is designed for fillies and mares who are racing with $4,000 base claiming prices.
 
OGs Si Bon is coming off a 6-1/2-length romp at this level, looking more like a 1-5 shot than a $41 winner.  Matias Ruiz and Raymond Oneill are the owners and Ruiz does the conditioning of this 4-year-old daughter of Mohican Pride.
 
Persuade Me was the overwhelming 1-5 choice in that contest as she went in search of her fifth straight victory, but she was no match for OGs Si Bon that evening and had to settle for the distant exacta completion after carving out the fractions after a demanding lead.  The Bob Johnson/Cynthia Rios-owned Crisis Situation mare will be gunning for some revenge with Jim Lackey once again at the controls.
 
Stick Up will have her share of supporters despite having to do her work from the outside slot in the field of seven.  Rick Plano reins and trains this mare, who is co-owned by his wife Maryann and Nikki Hudson.  She was a game winner on May 16, and has had to go up her against her classy stable-mate Biggest Big Bertha in her two most recent trips to the post.
 
Drama Princess helps make things very interesting after competing in the TVG Amateur Series over the last three weeks.  Ralph Silvestri III drives and co-owns this one with Bada Bing Stables and the Gretchen Smith trainee captured a division of the second leg of the series before finishing seventh in last weekend’s finale from the tough No. 9 post.
 
Wicked Beach, Elegant Emma and Charter Ridge were all part of a stretch traffic jam last week behind OGs Si Bon and Persuade Me.  Wicked Beach is the richest member of the cast with nearly $120,000 in the bank and gives the Smith barn two looks at the outcome with James Kennedy in the bike.
 
Elegant Emma is a New Zealand-bred 10-year-old who carries the banner of Rick and Marlene Thomas with Luke Plano in the sulky and she was a powerful victress at this level back in early May.  Charter Ridge completes the cast for owner/trainer Rick Cisco and John Chappell gives directions from the cozy rail.