Sacramento, CA — While most people were conceding the Dave Goldschmidt Free-For-All Pace at Cal Expo to heavily-favored Allmyx’sliventexas, apparently somebody forget to tell King Of The Crop.

Sent off at 8-1 in that contest two weeks ago, the soon-to-be 9-year-old son of Little Steven stalked the 1-5 choice and gamely got the job done for owners Don and Barbara Arnstine and Steve Chambers, trainer Kathy Plested and pilot Steve Wiseman.

“We were thrilled with King and his brave win,” said Barbara Arnstine. “He’s pretty special to us because he was so darn hard to get.

“We’ve been following him ever since Wayne Short entered him in claimers, and when he finally got to the tracks in Pennsylvania and New York where we could make a claim, we kept losing the shake.

“We tried three times, and each time we lost him to someone else. Then the next week he would be claimed for a higher price. By the time we got him at his highest price, we were the only ones left. If you would have seen him got off the truck after being in five different barns in two months, you would be wondering if we were crazy or just obsessed.”

Following a needed race here on Nov. 30, King Of The Crop was ready to rock and roll in the Goldschmidt while recording his 28th lifetime score and pushing his career bankroll to the $207,000 mark.

“After a couple of weeks with Kathy and Steve, you would have seen what we saw,” Barbara noted. “A fine, big-hearted Cal-bred who needed to come home. And he thanks us every time he races.”

Open Pace gets the marquee treatment

Allmyx’sliventexas, who had his local winning streak snapped in the Dave Goldschmidt Pace two weeks ago and King Of The Crop, who provided the upset, get another chance to settle the score in Friday night’s $7,200 Open Pace.

There will be 12 races presented by Watch and Wager LLC with first post set for 6:10 p.m. The program will also feature the Robert Gordon Prep for pacers.

Allymx’sliventexas is a soon-to-be 7-year-old son of Hi Ho Silverheel’s who is owned and was bred by Wayne and Rod Knittel, takes his lessons from Bob Johnson and will have Mooney Svendsen at the controls. A winner of 34 of 111 starts, the bay performer went over the $200,000 mark with his most recent appearance and sports a 1:50 lifetime mark.

After starting the meet with three straight Open victories, Allymx’sliventexas was dispatched as the 1-5 favorite in the Dec. 14 Dave Goldschmidt, but was unable to contain King Of The Crop when that rival came calling in the lane and was beaten a half-length over the track labeled good.

Taking on this pair are Bettor In The Bank, Part Time, Almost Cut My Hair, Senga Nitro, Marced Magic and Some Playa.