by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — After settling for minor awards behind Shelby County in three straight appearances at Cal-Expo, John McKeon’s trotting filly Broadway Victory got away from that rival last weekend and the result was a romping 7-1/2 length score that shaved a full two seconds off her career standard.

Broadway Victory, a 3-year-old daughter of Broadway Hall, was winning for the fourth time in her 14 outings and left little doubt with her 1:58.2 clocking. She’s been racing well right along, but Shelby County had just out-gamed her in those previous efforts.

“She had the 10-hole three back and was fourth after we were parked the whole mile,” McKeon noted. “Then the next week we set all the fractions, Shelby County sat on our back and out-finished us. I trained with that other mare this winter and she showed a lot of potential, so it wasn’t a surprise.”

With that gal moving up in class, it was easy pickings for Broadway Victory and her owner/trainer/driver at most recent asking. She carved out even fractions of :29.1, :59 and 1:28.4 en route to the solid tally.

“It was nice to get a 1:58 and change mark on her, because she’d been going that fast in some of her miles but wasn’t getting the credit,” McKeon said.

“She’s had some little issues with her feet, and she still has some in one of her front feet, but she’s coming around nicely now. I expect her to get better as times goes on, because she has a lot of talent.”

Broadway Victory will suit up in Friday’s (Oct. 29) opener, then gets a couple of weeks off as McKeon plans to attend the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs and will then go to the Harrisburg sale in hopes of picking up another promising youngster.

Sophomore filly Sire Stakes head Friday program

A pair of $15,000 California Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old fillies are on tap at Cal-Expo Friday night (Oct. 29), with One Hot Tamale and Upncoming Prospect getting top billing in the pacing event, while Betty Elizabeth and Acapulco Gold loom large in the trotting contest.

The pacing stakes goes as the eighth race on the evening and appears to be an extremely contentious mile on paper. One Hot Tamale gets the nod, as she’s won seven of her 19 starts and is already a multiple stakes victress with a 1:55.4 career standard.

Rick Plano reins and trains the Wayne Knittel homebred daughter of Distinguishedbaron and the Big Towner mare Anatola Hanover. She’s had two solid prep races, including a smart comeback score on Oct. 14, and should be dangerous no matter how things shake out early.

Upncoming Prospect is another member of the field with multiple trophies in her case for owner/breeder Jack Coffey and trainer Bob Johnson. Steve Wiseman will once again handle the Key Prospect offspring who is gunning for her seventh snapshot from 28 trips to the post and sports a 1:56.4 tally here earlier in the year.

Rounding out the field are Gee Up with Etienne Desomer; She Is So Glad, Rich Wojcio; Deal Me In, to be guided by James Kennedy; Thelady Isa Champ; No Storm Damage for Troy Thomas; and Just Plum Lucky, who does her work from the outside slot.

There are also several ways to go in the Sire Stakes for the distaff trotters, which will occupy the second event on the program. When this group last got together for a big-money affair, it was Betty Elizabeth who took the bows after posting a seven length romp for owner/trainer/breeder Lisa Pilcher. Steve Wiseman will be in the sulky.

Acapulco Gold and Exquisite Gem are also stakes winners and will be tough if they come with their best miles. The former is a daughter of Supermatural who is owned by Ben Kenney and Rocky Stidham with Stidham doing the driving and training, while Exquisite Gem campaigns for Salvador and Georgette Wenceslao, takes her lessons from Raul Escobedo and will be handled by Rich Wojcio.

Cash Creek is coming up to this off two solid tries off the vacation and helps make things very interesting. Tim Maier drives and trains the Jonathan Lobell miss for his wife Denise and Frank Roedel. Lily Of Lodi completes the cast and this daughter of New Age Hanover races for Maryann Plano and Dave and Rob Haness with trainer Rick Plano at the helm.

Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Thursday (Oct. 28) and continues through Saturday (Oct. 30).