Sire Stakes, Open Pace on tap Sunday at Cal Expo

Sacramento, CA — A pair of California Sire Stakes for the 3 and 4-year-old male pacers headed by Lodi Phillip and It’s Pointless, respectively, and an Open Pace featuring Allmyx’sliventexas are the main attractions on Sunday night’s (April 18) Cal Expo program.

There will be 11 races decided under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with the first post set for 5:25, while the Sire Stakes for the 4-year-olds will go as a non-betting event prior to the regular card.

Lodi Phillip (Luke Plano looks tough in the Sire Stakes for the sophomores. He is a homebred son of Another Mile out of the Live Or Die mare Tawney Reserve N who races for Mary Harris and Pierre Girard with Greig Watson training and Luke Plano has the return assignment.

After a troubled trip in initial stakes dance for the division this season on February 21, Lodi Phillip has captured the last three big-money clashes in impressive style with Plano at the controls.

The dark-hued gelding has been a short price on each occasion and has delivered to expectations, on each occasion coming to the wire in complete control. He’s the one to beat no matter how things shake out early.

In the most recent Sire Stakes gathering on April 3, Lodi Phillip was hammered down to 40 cents on the dollar and took complete control of things after brushing to command past the quarter, holding a two-length advantage over Allthundadownunda when all was said and done.

The latter finished strongly for second that night in what was his first start of the year and must be given plenty of respect this weekend for owners Set The Pace Racing and driver/trainer Nick Roland. He landed the cozy rail draw for Sunday’s appearance.

Taking on this pair are Chase The Gold, Im A Magic Man, SD Watch Me Now, Believe In Dragons and Arnie’s Army.

Easy lies the crown on Mandeville

With his victories in the Gary Budahn and last week’s Stan Bergstein, Mandeville is certainly making his case for Trotter of the Meet honors when things wrap up here next week.

Veteran Gerry Longo owns and trains the 9-year-old and Luke Plano has been the perfect partner for the gelding as he has put his class and versatility on display in his last three victories.

The win in the March 6 Budahn came in game, first over fashion, he did the track-and-attack to account for the march 21 Open and then came back last Saturday night to go coast-to-coast in the Bergstein as the heavy favorite with Plano sitting chilly.

While Silverhill Volo dominated the division early in the meeting for Chip Lackey and track record-holder Pridecrest has gone some big miles of his own at this stand, it’s hard to look past Mandeville as the king of the hill.

Speaking of Mandeville’s win at 1-2 in the Bergstein, despite the fact that he and Trashytoungetalker  ($3.20) recorded wins in the early Pick 5, the wager with the reduced 16 percent takeout rate still returned $1,052 for each correct 20-cent ticket.

A 7-2 score by Marvtherat surrounded by Delightfully Wild at $21 in the Bill Vallandingham Memorial and Street Parade at 14-1 in the final leg helped add some serious spice to the sequence.

A reminder there are three bets offered each night at that reduced 16 percent rate – the 20-cent early and late Pick and the Pick 4, with the latter featuring a $25,000-guaranteed gross pool.

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