by Scott Ehrlich, Publicity — Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — California Sires Stakes for filly youngsters on both gaits got the marquee treatment at Cal-Expo on Friday night (November 6).

In the $15,000 feature for the filly trotters, Acapulco Gold prevailed.

Coming away in second position from post-one in the field of four for driver Tim Maier, the pair found themselves 2-1/2-lengths off the pace-setting Betty Elizabeth (Gene Vallandingham) an eighth of a mile past the start and 2-3/4-lengths back after 3-16ths of a mile into a :30.2 opening quarter.

Sitting two-lengths back at the half-mile pole, timed in 1:01.4, Acapulco Gold narrowed the gap by a half of one-length at the five-eighths mile pole while lightly urged.

Closing the gap midway through the final turn, Maier tipped his filly out to the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:33.3.

Under minor urging at the top of the lane and drifting out a bit, Acapulco Gold took a slim lead with just under 3-16ths of a mile to trot, but Betty Elizabeth wasn’t done yet.

Now under urging and in a fight as Betty Elizabeth dug in, Acapulco Gold narrowly held her slim lead to the wire to win ($5.00) by a nose. Owned by Ben Kenney in partnership with trainer Rocky Stidham, Acapulco Gold stopped the timer at 2:05.1, thus establishing a lifetime mark. Betty Elizabeth had to settle for second, and Jewel Heist (Steve Desomer), who broke before the start and spotted the field at least 15-lengths, recovered enough to be third, but 16-lengths behind the top two.

Getting second-billing on the card were the filly pacers, racing in an elimination for an $8,000 purse, on which Upncoming Prospect was much the best despite a miscue.

Breaking just past the start from post-five in the field of twelve, driver Lemoyne Svendsen had a good idea why his filly broke.

“I had orders to duck her, but with horses flying on each side of her at the start, she got over excited and broke,” stated Svendsen. “I thought I was done because when you make a break in that type of a bulky field – – you don’t normally win.”

Back pacing a sixteenth of a mile after the start, but losing seven-lengths while off-stride, Upncoming Prospect found herself three and two-wide around a breaker after 3-16ths of a mile into a :29 first-quarter.

Tucking in eighth well past the quarter-pole, Svendsen moved his charge to the outside past the three-eighths mile marker and caught cover past the 7-16ths mile station into a :57.4 first-half.

Racing second-over at the five-eighths mile pole until being left first-over with a quarter of a mile to go while having momentum, Svendsen was ultra confident.

“I thought I was a winner because the fillies up front had battled so hard.”

With the field now in the stretch, Svendsen had a little issue to deal with.

“As I came into the stretch – – I don’t know if she thought I was going to reach up and hit her or what, but she jumped sideways on me. She did straighten out some, but then I could see that the whip was out of the question – – so I just hand drove her the rest of the way.”

Wearing down the pace-setting One Hot Tamale (Luke Plano) in the shadow of the wire, Upncoming Prospect won ($7.00) by one-length. Owned by breeder Jack Coffey, the Bruce Clarke trained lass paced the mile in 1:57, a lifetime mark. Sincerity (Tim Maier) was just up for second, and One Hot Tamale had to settle for the show honors. Also advancing to next weeks $15,000 Final were She Is So bad, Gee Up, So Relentless, Serengeti Sunset, RW Island Spirit, Feeling Hothothot, and Power Of Key Largo.

“It was pretty impressive because when a baby makes a break it usually takes them out of the race. So for her to come back and win was pretty good,” finished Svendsen.