by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Four $20,000 Sire Stakes championship races for the 3-year-old trotters and pacers are on tap at Cal Expo on Saturday night (Dec. 11), with Hi Ho Steverino, She Is So Glad, Betty Elizabeth and Franks Best heading their respective events.

Hi Ho Steverino has been unbeatable in the stakes races for the pacing males at this fall meet and appears to hold the aces for owner/breeder Rod Knittel, conditioner Rick Plano and driver Luke Plano. He captured the Oct. 30 and Nov. 27 stakes clashes in gate-to-wire fashion, while making the winning move at the half in the Nov. 13 tally that resulted in a 1:54.3 career standard.

The Knittel color-bearer came back last week to finish second in the Courageous Red elimination behind Oneout Inthe Eigth and will be difficult to deny here no matter how things shake out early.

She Is So Glad looms the one to beat in the distaff pacing event. The Power Of Art homebred carries the banner of Jim Wilkinson, Hans Karge, Billie Schwartz and Jay Rosenberg, takes her lessons from Jim Wilkinson, Jr. and will once again have Rich Wojcio at the helm.

A winner of five of her 10 starts this season, She Is So Glad accounted for the Oct. 29 and Nov. 12 Sire Stakes in dominating fashion, had a tough trip in the Nov. 26 stakes dance, then came back last week to prove a strong winner of the Kaycess Doll elimination over a good racetrack.

Like Hi Ho Steverino, Betty Elizabeth is looking to make a clean sweep of the big-money events for the filly trotters at this meeting. Lisa Pilcher owns, trains and bred the daughter of Panama Hanover and Steve Wiseman will guide. Overall, she has captured seven of her 11 trips to the post with $74,000 in her account.

Franks Best has the advantage in the colt trotting contest as he looks to add another trophy to his impressive mantle. Bob Johnson owns, trains and bred the Armbro Scribe offspring with Lemoyne Svendsen handling the lines, and has been dominating his peers in the last two big-money races here with his track-and-attack style.

Ninth inning rally results in victory

The way Oneout Inthe Eigth captured last weekend’s opener of the Courageous Red series, you would have thought he was a 1-5 shot instead of a 27-1 outsider.

Making a bold first-over move on the far turn for Sue Boyce over the sloppy going, the Bob Johnson trainee swept to the lead once straightened for home and went on to a 4-1/4 length romp for the $56 surprise.

“I like the longshots,” Boyce said. “Bob Johnson always has his horses in form and it’s an honor to drive for him. Oneout Inthe Eigth was certainly on his game that night.”

The Grover Stables homebred won his first two starts last year, including a 1:56.4 spin at Indiana Downs, and set his mark of 1:55.4 over this layout earlier this season. A couple of missed starts and the presence of a razor-sharp Hi Ho Steverino accounted for the big price, but somebody forgot to tell Oneout Inthe Eigth.

Meanwhile, Boyce is also the regular pilot for the talented pacing mare Red Star Ruffles, who goes about her business for owner/trainer Robley Johnson. The daughter of Rustler Hanover is having an outstanding meet, including a 1:54 career-best tally at the Open level in October, and is coming off a third behind Rick Plano’s boys Living It Up and Cowboy Hanover.

Red Star Ruffles came to the winner on a first-over grind, and while she couldn’t keep the momentum going and had to settle for the show money, it was another solid effort for the Canadian-bred miss.

“The weather was bad, the track was sloppy and she had a tough trip,” Boyce related. “She always puts in her best effort, and I love a horse that tries hard each and every week like she does.”

Live racing resumes at Cal Expo on Thursday (Dec. 9) at 5 p.m. (PST) and continues through Saturday (Dec. 11). Post time on Friday (Dec. 10) is at 5:20 p.m. Approximate post time on Saturday is 5:40 p.m.