Sacramento, CA — Friday’s (March 15) $7,500 Filly and Mare Open at Cal Expo brings out a pair of very sharp distaffers in Ain’t She Special, who has scored three straight victories, and Graceful Horizon, fresh from capturing last week’s Steve Wiseman Free-For-All.

There will be 10 races decided Friday evening under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with first post set for 6:45 p.m.

Ain’t She Special is a 5-year-old daughter of American Ideal who is owned by Dave Haness and Luke Plano with Plano doing the reining and training. She has been at the top of her game over the last month with her most recent tally coming in coast-to-coast fashion two weeks ago as the 4-5 choice versus this group.

Graceful Horizon, who recorded four straight wins between Dec. 29 and Feb. 2, returned to her winning ways last week in the Steve Wiseman for owner Set The Pacing Racing LLC and driver/trainer Nick Roland. She brushed to the top that evening down the backside, then fought off a determined challenge from Divine Art the length of the stretch to prevail by a neck in the 1:53.3 mile in a solid outing.

Divine Art will be back to challenge along with Give Me This Dance, Crazy Cute and Wish I Had Thyme.

Eyes Don’t Lie has sights on hat trick

The pacing mare Eyes Don’t Lie has rattled off back-to-back wins here for owner/driver Winter Asher-Stalbaum and will be seeking the hat trick in Friday night’s finale.

A 7-year-old Maryland-foaled daughter of Roll With Joe, Eyes Don’t Lie picked up her first win of the season over a sloppy track two weeks ago, then romped home last week after making a power brush past the half.

“I bought her three years ago and she’s been amazing,” Asher-Stalbaum beamed. “At the time she had five wins and about $50,000 on her card.”

Eyes Don’t Lie comes into this week’s assignment with $142,464 in the bank and sights set on her 23rd lifetime score in her 98th trip to the post.

“She didn’t start until her 4-year-old year,” Winter noted. “She doesn’t do a single thing wrong and she’s wonderful around the barn.

“She can be a little headstrong when she’s jogging and she likes to leave hard from the gate,” he said. “Last week it took some effort to get her to duck, but it worked out perfectly and she went a very strong mile.”

Winter added that one of her biggest efforts came at Northville Downs last year, where she was runner-up in a track-record mile. Judging by her last two outings, she’s developing a real affinity for Cal Expo as well.