The $12,500 Kirk Breed Filly and Mare Free-for-All Pace, headed by Wonder Of Love, and a $15,000 California Sire Stakes for 3-year-old pacing fillies, featuring Gotubydashorthairs, command the spotlight Sunday evening (April 16) at Cal Expo on a special memorial program.
Author: by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal Expo
Stars come out in Meadowlands qualifiers
The stars of the 2022 stakes season have begun to emerge from their winter hibernation and appear at the Meadowlands qualifiers. Trainer Jim Campbell relived the best day of his life by shipping his Hambletonian and Hambo Oaks winners from last year in for their first charted miles as 4-year-olds, and they both won their respective qualifiers on Saturday morning (April 15).
Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg, 85, dies
One of most significant and influential people, an ambassador for the sport of harness racing on both sides of the Atlantic, Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg, has died Friday (April 14). She was 85 years old.
Deslandes clan cleans up at Cumberland
Driver Dan Deslandes and his father, trainer Jeff Deslandes, took First Tracks Cumberland by storm and won four of the nine races on Friday’s (April 14) opening day program.
Heavens Pic flies home to take Big M feature
Heavens Pic and trainer-driver Victor Kirby endured an eventful journey to rally from last in Friday’s featured trot at the Meadowlands.
Blue Chip Matchmaker Series prelims conclude
Lucky Artist A and driver Braxten Boyd cut lively fractions, then held off a determined bid by Mabalene N to capture the first of three $40,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker divisions at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Friday night (April 14). The 10-year-old mare by Artistic Fella scored in a seasonal best 1:51.2 in the final qualifying leg of the series.
Fantastic Voyage in fantastic form
Early in his career, it was apparent Fantastic Voyage had some significant ability. As a 2- and 3-year-old, he was always in contention in all legs of the Maryland Sires Stakes program. Even at 4, he won the Maryland Sires Stakes pace for 4- and 5-year-olds.
Beckwiths sweep Plainridge features
Slick-gaited side-wheelers headlined the card at Plainridge Park on Thursday afternoon (April 13), and the top pair of contests were won by the mother-son tandem of trainer Melissa Beckwith and driver Brett Beckwith.
Shenandoah to host $25k Opens April 22
Shenandoah Downs will present the Mountain Racing Series, comprised of a pair of $25,000 Open events, on Saturday, April 22.
Engblom wins two of three Philly features
Trainer Per Engblom captured two of the three co-featured $13,500 events for developing horses on Thursday (April 13) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, doing so with trotter The American Eagle and pacing mare Idealinfun.