Sacramento, CA — Its A Horse is having a solid meet at Cal Expo for owner Ray Alan Miller, trainer Marco Rios and regular pilot Gerry Longo, including three straight wins in the Open Trot to start off the year.

The 6-year-old was purchased late last season by Miller and sent to Rios, who has done a terrific job getting the trotter to settle early and save his best for last with Longo in the sulky.

“Mr. Harris sent him to me at the start of the meet and my first impression was that he was a very nice horse,” Rios informed. “He does everything right in the morning and has that real nice late kick in his races.”

Rios watched some of Its A Horse’s races at Northfield Park to get acquainted with the performer prior to his first California start and noted that his best efforts seemed to come when he was allowed to relax early and then come home in a hurry.

“That’s what we’ve been working on with him in his training and Gerry has been doing a great job getting him to relax early in his races and finish strongly.

“Of course, when you have a style like that sometimes the way the race shapes up is going work against you, but there is nothing you can do about that.”

Rios knows a thing or two about training a top trotter, having conditioned the outstanding sidewheeler El Azteca.

“He’s still at the top of my list, but Its A Horse is getting there quickly,” he noted.

Silverlode has top billing in Open Trot

Silverlode, fresh from back-to-back victories at the head of the class, looks to keep the momentum going in Saturday night’s featured $6,500 Open Trot. Watch and Wager LLC will present 11 races with things getting underway at 6:10 p.m. and the main event is scheduled as the fifth contest on the evening.

As a result of her recent triumphs, Silverlode will be asked to do her work from the demanding No. 10 post position in the field of six with Steve Wiseman at the controls.

Silverlode competes for owners Medinah Racing and Kathie Plested with Plested doing the training. She set a new North American record on a mile track two back in the Joe Lighthill Trot when she covered the extended distance of 1-1/2 miles in 2:57.2.

Sent off the even-money choice in the most recent top dance for the trotting set two weeks ago, Silverlode made what proved to be the winning move at the half and romped home by 5-3/4 lengths over a track labeled good.

Taking her on this weekend, from the rail out: Majestic Lady Jo with Nate Sobey; Franks Best, Mooney Svendsen; One Chief with Luke Plano; Windsun Galaxe, Dean Magee; and Its A Horse, who will have the services of Gerry Longo.

Bettor Lady should have a big say in the co-featured Open II Distaff Pace with James Kennedy guiding. She has turned in four straight strong miles here for owners Richard Morita and David Yamada and trainer Lino Pacheco, as she was up in the final stride to hang a nose decision on Capitol Hill in the Feb. 23 Open, then has completed the exacta in the last two meetings at the top rung.