by Mark Ratzky, Cal-Expo publicity department

Sacramento, CA — Four Spring Championship events for the 3-year-old trotters and pacers will be decided at Cal-Expo on Saturday night (May 24), with the best of the respective classes doing battle.

Smooth Jazz is the only class member looking to make a clean sweep of the big-money events for her division, as Tim and Denise Maier’s trotting filly is unbeaten in nine starts and has captured all seven of the stakes races for her class.

A 3-year-old daughter of Tulane and the Artsplace mare Jazzplace, the bay miss accounted for all four stakes gatherings last season and has been completely dominating with her peers in the three added-money affairs this year.

Smooth Jazz established a new lifetime mark of 2:00.4 when she captured the initial 2008 stakes on April 11 by double digits, then put in a powerful late move to prevail once again two weeks later. In the most recent gathering on May 9, she was sent off at 1-9 and crushed her opposition by 13 lengths under a chilly drive by Tim.

Looking at the pacing fillies, My Fanny has almost been as tough to deny in the stakes races, as Maryann Plano’s homebred has posed for pictures following six of the seven stakes dances. She made a clean sweep at 2, had to settle for the runner-up prize in the first one this season, but has since taken the last pair in convincing fashion.

Among the pacing colts, Star Time Kid has firmly established himself as the leader of the division with his stablemate over at the Rick Plano barn in Themaninthewindow not far behind in the rankings. The latter won three of the four stakes last season, but Star Time Kid has upstaged him this season by taking all three of the stakes for owner/breeders Alan Kirschenbaum and Sheldon Perry.

Stars And Sites is the big gun among the trotting males, as Jack Coffey and Traci Camilli’s performer earned two stakes trophies last season and has added another pair as a 3-year-old. Meringue accounted for the first Sire Stakes clash of the year, but has had to be happy with the second-place checks in the last pair for owner Dawn Evango and conditioner Hans Rynningen.

A whiskered thing of beauty

Mamahaswhiskerstoo got her first career snapshot last week and it’s obvious this daughter of Distinguishedbaron and the Camtastic mare Sanananna has come back a more focused pacer at age 4 for her owner/breeder Wendi Wiener and trainer Natalie Tremblay.

After having to settle for just three show finishes from nine appearances last year, Mamahaswhiskerstoo was a sharp runner-up in her seasonal debut two weeks ago, then came right back to pick up the overdue graduation papers with Steve Wiseman at the controls.

“Whiskers raced as a 3-year-old, but I always believed she needed more time to mature,” Wendi related. “She showed just that in her first start back and then won her next time. I want to thank Nat (Natalie) for her patience in caring for this mare, and I’ll never forget her father Nicol telling us that if we wait on Whiskers, she’s going to be a good one.”

Weiner explains that when it comes to her attitude, this pacer definitely takes after her sire.

“She’s like Distinguishedbaron in that she’s not the most lovable, huggable horse, but she does love racing, and you could tell she was proud of herself the other night.

“My only regret is that there aren’t any stakes races for the 4-year-olds like we used to have, because there are horses like this one who just aren’t ready for their best until this time.

“I just hope this girl can keep on winning and go up and up the ladder. Her first one is definitely a start, and I have to admit I get teary-eyed whenever my homebreds go out there and do so well.”

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Thursday (May 22) and continue through Saturday (May 24). Post time on Thursday and Friday is at 6:15 p.m. (PDT). Post time on Saturday is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. On Thursday, Cal-Expo offers a complete lasagna dinner, which includes salad and bread, for just $3.00.

The Pick-6 at Cal-Expo is now a $1 wager.