by Mark Ratzky, publicity department, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — Deep Red, who followed a four-race win streak with a solid try behind California Dream in the Open Pace, looks to hold the aces in Monday’s (February 25) $5,500 main event at Cal-Expo. Rocky Stidham owns, trains and drives the hard-knocking 5-year-old.

The race is designed for performers carrying base claiming prices of $18,000 down to $14,000. Those set to take on Deep Red in this affair are Bob Lee, Mac Jonathan VP, Schemes and Something New.

A son of Little Steven and the Precious Bunny mare Red Hare, Deep Red was a 13-time victor last season, and has captured four of his seven starts this year, including a 1:52.4 career-best last month. He will be looking to add to a $91,000 bank account.

The Stidham representative rattled off his four-bagger between January 20 and February 8, with all of those victories coming at this same claiming level. He put his class and versatility on display during the course of these outings, with the first coming from off the pace with a circling move around the leaders.

He changed tactics for the next three, however, as Deep Red was on the engine in each of those scores, including the aforementioned January 26 mile where he lowered his mark to 1:52.4 after making every pole a winning one.

Those wins earned Deep Red a trip to the head of the class for his last trip to the post, where he had the unenviable task of facing California Dream and company in the Open. He gave a good account of himself, checking in fourth while missing by fewer than two lengths to the top pacers on the grounds.

Mac Jonathan VP is another member of the cast having a good 2008, with three wins and a like number of runner-up finishes from his seven appearances. KC Carvalho owns, Tom Wine trains and Luke Plano will once again be at the helm.

The VP Finance offspring completed the exacta behind Deep Red after sitting the pocket journey two back, then got away from that rival for his most recent outing and proved a punctual favorite as he dominated his rivals on the front end for Plano. At the wire, he had 2-1/4 lengths on them with the 1:53.3 clocking — just a tick off his career standard.

Bob Lee helps make things interesting for owner/trainer Matias Ruiz and pilot Lemoyne Svendsen. He last reached the charmed enclosure on January 12 while taking the measure of a softer group.

Wilkinson glad to have him back

I Am So Glad, idle since victories at the Meadowlands and Harrah’s Chester in August, is back in the Jim Wilkinson, Jr. barn, and revving up for a return to action.

To get a bit tighter, the 4-year-old son of Power Of Art captured a qualifier in the slop by two lengths last Thursday with Rich Wojcio at the controls, and his mentor is shopping for a spot to bring back the pacer. He sports a 1:52.3 mark, has $139,000 in the bank, and several stakes trophies on his mantle.

“If you remember, back as 2-year-olds when he and California Dream were racing against each other, he was more the dominating one,” Wilkinson related. “He probably has more talent than California Dream, but the difference is that he’s had his share of injuries, while California Dream has never had any setbacks while I’ve had him.”

I Am So Glad suffered one of those hiccups this summer, following a pair of victories in New Jersey.

“He had an injury to his leg, so we brought him back and he had stem-cell surgery. He’s come back real well from it.

“I don’t think a second qualifier is going to do him all that much good at this point, so he’ll start racing. It’s probably going to take three or four more weeks to get him back to the top of his game.”

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Monday (February 25), followed by racing on Thursday through Saturday (February 28-March 1). Post times are 5:35 p.m. (PST). On Monday, admission is free, plus Cal-Expo offers a complete lasagna dinner, with salad and bread, for just $3.00.

Cal-Expo also offers guaranteed $10,000 pools on all Pick-4’s!