Sacramento, CA — Allmyx’sliventexas, who has captured eight of his 10 starts this year, and Frewil Dakota Sven, who upset him in last week’s Open Pace, head the cast for Saturday night’s (April 24) featured $10,000 Lloyd Arnold Pace at Cal Expo.

This is the second-to-last program of the meet and Watch and Wager LLC will present nine races with first post set for 5:45 p.m.

Allmyx’sliventexas has been burdened with the assigned No. 10 post position in three of his last four starts, including last week’s foray, but does his work from the No. 5 slot on Saturday for owner/breeders Wayne and Rod Knittel, trainer Bob Johnson and pilot Nick Roland. Allmy’xliventexas comes into this assignment with 50 wins from his 146 starts, $274,816 in his bank account and a 1:50 mark that was established three years ago at Hoosier Park.

He captured the Don Arnstine Pace here on March 27, then carved out all the fractions in last week’s Open after being hard-used to the lead from that 10 slot and lost by a head to Frewil Dakota Sven.

The latter is a 6-year-old son of Up Front Brad who is owned by Vikki Pfeilsticker, Brian Mort and Louie Mitteco, takes his lessons from Rick Bertand and will once again have Cordarius Stewart at the controls. Sent off at 8-1 last week while departing from the rail slot, Frewil Dakota Sven tracked early, came first over with Stewart at the half and gamely wore down the favorite in a lifetime-best 1:52 clocking. It was his fifth snapshot from his last seven outings.

Taking on this pair are Buddy’s Hope, who will leave from the rail with Jake Cutting at the controls; Hooe Nein A for Gerry Longo; Pecorino, who will have the services of Luke Plano; Queenace Blue Chip; and Royale Big Guy.

Driver, trainer races going down to wire

With just two programs remaining, Nick Roland holds a five length lead over Jake Cutting in the driver’s race while Rick Bertrand and Gordie Graham are tied atop the trainer standings.

Roland and Cutting have been putting on a great battle here among the pilots, with Roland returning to the charmed circle after 101 of his 470 drives, while Cutting has almost identical numbers with 96 victories from his 461 trips to the post.

Meanwhile, Bertrand and Graham have each sent out 47 winners and it will be up to the closing weekend to see if they remain in a deadlock or one of them comes away with a clear-cut victory.

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Saturday’s main event is named for famed harness owner and track operator Lloyd Arnold, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 83.

Mr. Arnold raced such outstanding performers as Warm Breeze, who set an all-age world record over this track when it was known as Golden Bear Raceway; the brilliant distaffer Sanabelle Island; Bagel Beach Boy, Chevie Duramax and Quik Pulse Mindale.

In addition to being a prominent Standardbred owner, Mr. Arnold operated this track during those Golden Bear Raceway years and also bought Los Alamitos in the 1980s, eventually selling the track to his partner, Ed Allred.

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With this being closing weekend, Sunday will find mandatory payouts in all wagers. A reminder there are three bets offered each night that come with a reduced 16 percent takeout rate — the 20-cent early and late Pick-5 and the 20-cent Pick-4, with the latter featuring a $25,000 guaranteed gross pool.

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Scott Ehrlich reports his popular mare Surprisingly Sweet has given birth to her first foal and both filly and mother are perfectly healthy.

“She is a total darling and totally adorable,” Scott related. “The filly has been named after my late mother Harriet and her name is Secreharriet.

“Words cannot describe my sincere gratitude to Robin Clements and her friends Nancy Hutchinson and Amanda Romero for all their amazing help since her birth.

“One thing I know for sure, this precious little creature has two guardian angels — my mom and Steve Wiseman.”