Next week will find the third round of Sire Stakes action for the 3-year-old trotters and pacers, and we’ll find out if there’s going to be any movement among the division leaders.
 
Franks Best can boast of the most trophies to this point, having won three of five stakes clashes last year while dominating his male trotting rivals in the two big-money events decided this season, while his male pacing counterpart Dancing Barry isn’t far behind with four on his mantle, including both of this year’s gatherings.
 
Among the distaffers, both the pacer Upncoming Prospect and trotter Acapulco Gold won their respective first stakes attempts back in early November, but hadn’t captured another added-money event until last week when they both posted upsets.
 
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Fresh from their victory in the recent East-West Challenge, the local amateur pilots will be competing in two upcoming late-closing series here at Cal Expo, the first one beginning next Saturday, May 8.  They are exclusively for amateurs and sponsored by TVG.
 
Each series will feature two legs and a final with an estimated purse of $8,000.  The first series will be decided over three consecutive Saturdays and is a conditioned claiming event with tags on the first two legs of $4,000 and $4,500, plus allowances.
 
Horses that have competed in $4,000 “C” level and lower claiming races after April 20th at Cal Expo are eligible.  Nominations will close on Monday May 3. The second series for bottom level claimers will be run in September.  Complete details of the series are available at thecadc.com/2010Series.pdf
 
The CHHA (California Harness Horsemen’s Association) and track management have been supportive of amateur racing since its re-emergence in the summer of 2005 when the State Fair, the meet’s current operator, took over.
 
“There is little doubt that the California Amateur program is the strongest track-based one in the country,” said Cal Expo general manager Dave Elliott.  “Given the challenges of an 'island meet', amateur driving not only provides for a varied program for fans, but serves a purpose for lesser experienced drivers to be competitive and to show to potential owners another side of ownership unavailable with thoroughbreds or quarter horses.”
 
Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Friday (April 30) & Saturday (May 1) at 5:55 p.m. (PDT) both nights.  On Friday, Cal-Expo offers Happy Hour between 6:00-8:00 p.m., where $1 Beer, $2 Wine & $3 Buffalo Wings an order is offered.