by Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness

Sacramento, CA — A Pick-5 Carryover of $8,619 with a $25,000-guaranteed gross pool; a pair of $10,000 California Sire Stakes headed by Placer and De Valeria; and the second leg of the Alan Kirschenbaum and Richard Staley Pacing series are in the spotlight Friday evening at Cal Expo.

The Pick-5 is a 50-cent wager that begins on the third race and in addition to the $25,000 guaranteed pool there is a reduced 16 percent takeout. That 16 percent take also applies to the 20-cent Pick 4 and the 10-cent Hi-Five on the finale.

The second leg of the Alan Kirschenbaum Series matches first leg winners Larry Horse and Nutmegs Davey; and the second leg of the Richard Staley Series is headed by opening leg victor Big Guy To Win.

Larry Horse is one of the most popular performers on the grounds and proved a punctual 6-5 favorite in his division of the first leg of the Kirschenbaum last weekend. The 12-year-old son of Sportsmaster races for Jesse Pacheco and Kristin Schwab, is conditioned by Lino Pacheco and will once again have Luke Plano guiding.

Larry Horse was winning for the third time in his last four starts and pushed his earnings to $229,000 with a 1:52.4 mark. His last two tallies have been accomplished in similar fashion, tracking early for Plano and then attacking first-over to get the job done, with last week’s margin being a comfortable 2-1/4 lengths.

Nutmegs Daisy accounted for the other Kirschenbaum division last week for owner Osmin Carrera, trainer Dario Solares and pilot Dave Siegel. The son of Jennas Beach Boy made every pole a winning one at 5-1 in that affair, showing the way home by 2-1/4 lengths over 4-5 favorite Yiannoulas Boy.

Meanwhile, Kimberley Hines’ Big Guy To Win captured the opening leg of the Staley in a coast-to-coast performance with Mooney Svendsen in the sulky. George Reider trains the 9-year-old son of Towner’s Big Guy. In the Sire Stakes, Placer and De Valeria are both looking for repeat big-money tallies in their respective divisions.