by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal Expo Harness
Sacramento, CA — Last week’s initial Friday night program at Cal Expo was a good one for trainer Kennedy Lindsey, who ended up posing for pictures with the pacer Whatchamacallum and the trotter Katie Mouse.
Both performers were making it two straight wins, with Whatchamacallum proving his 46-1 shocker the previous week was no fluke, while Katie Mouse was the 6-5 choice after recording a 9-1 upset in her prior appearance.
“My entire barn got a little sick when we got back from Chicago,” noted Lindsey. “I knew they were all going to be at least a week behind everybody else.”
Whatchamacallum is 5-year-old who carries the banner of Patricia Stevens and has been guided in his last two tallies by James Kennedy. He has been up close and personal in both those miles and won clearly on both occasions.
“I was surprised as anybody when he won that first race, because I thought he would need another start,” his mentor noted. “He set a new mark that night, and then he came back and set another one last time after getting roughed up on the first turn.”
Katie Mouse has done the track-and-attack to perfection for veteran Chip Lackey in her last two trips to the post and like Whatchamacallum, spent the summer at Hawthorne.
“She kept racing first over in Chicago, and that’s not the way she likes to be driven,” Lindsey said. “She wants to sit in and come for the stretch, which is what she’s done in her last two here. I thought she was the one to beat.
“Our other horse in that race (Shez So Sassy) gets kind of hard to control when she makes the front and I had a feeling she was going to be in trouble when she was racing up there.”
Annette Funicello final atop the marquee
The $8,200 Annette Funicello final for pacing fillies and mares is the main attraction on Friday night’s (Nov. 18) card at Cal Expo, with The Bearded Lady looming the one to beat after posting a dominating score last weekend.
There are 12 races on tap under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with a 6:10 first post for both the Friday and Saturday programs.
The Bearded Lady is a 4-year-old daughter of Mach Three out of the Jate Lobell mare Madam Christie who is owned by Mark Anderson, hails from the Gordie Graham barn and will once again have the services of James Kennedy.
In last week’s Funicello prep, The Bearded Lady sat last for a half, began to pick up momentum on the final bend and then stormed home to draw off to a 3-1/2 length victory as the 3-2 favorite.
Lining up against her on Friday are Rodeo Blues with Andy Arsenault; Wisecrack, William Hernandez; Queenofhot, Mark Kennedy; Wizzel Stix with Steve Wiseman at the helm; Slick Fall, Tony Succarotte; and Pa’s Corn Squeezin, to be guided by Luke Plano.
The 50-cent Pick-5 and the 20-cent Pick-4, which both come with a reduced 16 percent takeout, continue to pay well here with a nice bonus for the winners courtesy of that lower rate.
Last Saturday night’s Pick-5 returned $3,104, while using the regular takeout it would have been $2,771, a difference of $333 per winning 50-cent ticket. The Pick-4 on the program was good for $5,321 for the 20-cent investment, with a $4,750 return with the regular take for an increase of a cool $571 for each ticket holder.