by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal Expo Harness

Sacramento, CA — After capturing the first Sire Stakes of the Cal Expo meeting for the sophomore pacing fillies two weeks ago, Brewski came right back and proved a punctual odds-on favorite in a conditioned affair last weekend for owner/breeders Billie Schwartz and Junior Wilkinson and pilot Luke Plano.

Wilkinson conditions the daughter of Little Steven and she is out of the Tulane mare Wooski, who was also a stakes winner for the Schwartz/Wilkinson combination and is enjoying some pretty good success with her first to the races.

“This is the second generation for Billie and I,” Wilkinson noted. “We bred Wooski and now we have Brewski. We’ve also got a 2-year-old out of her named Couldbe Dancing who is getting ready to qualify.

“Wooski was a real talented mare,” Wilkinson related. “Unfortunately, she kicked a wall when she was 3 and missed a lot of stakes opportunities. She did come back and race at 4 with a 1:54 mark, but she really wasn’t the same.”

As for Brewski, she only raced once last year and has posed for pictures following five of her 20 trips to the post this season. She lived up to her heavy backing in that Dec. 7 Sire Stakes assignment, then came right back with a solid decision at most recent asking while lowering her career standard to 1:57.1 in the process.

“She’s getting better with each start,” her mentor said. “There are three more stakes races for her early next year and then we’ll go from there.”

In the meantime, Brewski will suit up in Friday’s first race as she continues to stay on her toes for the next stakes assignment and the chance to add even more trophies to her mantle.

Open Pace headlines inaugural Friday program

Racing expands to three nights a week with the trotters and pacers now competing under the Watch and Wager LLC banner on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. A $5,500 Open Pace heads the Friday (Dec. 26) action.

St Lads Lotto, who has rattled off five straight victories while steadily working his way up the class ladder here, looks to keep the momentum going in that main event. A 12-race card is set with a first post of 6:10 p.m. The Open Pace goes as the third event on the program.