Sacramento, CA — The $12,500 Lloyd Arnold Pace headed by the streaking Officer Jim and a $25,000 Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old male pacers featuring Polar Storm are the main attractions on Friday night’s (April 21) Cal Expo program.

There will be eight races presented under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with first post at 7:05 p.m.

Officer Jim is the hottest horse on the grounds as he comes into the Arnold having rattled off seven straight victories. The 7-year-old son of American Ideal has been on an absolute tear this season while making all his recent starts at the Open level for owner Debra McCarthy and trainer Michael Meza.

Mooney Svendsen has been handling the lines in his last three victories, including the most recent two weeks ago when he toured the oval in a sparkling 1:51 while establishing a new lifetime standard.

Taking him on Friday are A Major Omen, from the Gerry Longo barn; Handsome Harvey, conditioned by Luke Plano; the Bob Johnson-trained Allmyx’sliventexas and Trey Rockette, who hails from the Jose Castillo shedrow.

Looking at the Sire Stakes, Polar Storm is a son of Wind Me Up who is owned and was bred by Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte and is trained by Jose Castillo.

After finishing third in the first stakes dance in late March, he did the perfect track-and-attack to account for last week’s clash with Shawn Thayer at the controls while drawing off late by a length and a half in a lifetime best 1:54.3 mile.

Bettor’s Promise, Pancetta stand test of time

Between them, Bettor’s Promise and Pancetta have made 530 starts, and last week they were both seen posing for pictures for owners Richard Morita and David Yamada and trainer Lino Pacheco.

Bettor’s Promise is a 12-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight who stalked perfectly for Mooney Svendsen while recording victory No. 33 in his 302nd appearance with $277,508 in the bank.

“He’s certainly been an iron horse for us,” Morita related after the win. “We bought him late in his 3-year-old season and he really came around about a year after that.

“He’s raced and won at Yonkers and won in the Open class at Running Aces. He’s also been in some of the top races over the years, including the Dan Patch and really likes a fifth-eighths track.

“At 12, he’s lost a little, but he can still show his class like he did the other night.”

While Bettor’s Promise was a juicy 8-1 in his score on Friday, stablemate Pancetta proved a punctual even-money favorite in his Sunday score with Jessie Pacheco doing the honors.

It was the 48th lifetime tally for Pancetta, who has a $551,310 account and a 1:51.1 mark that was set at Pocono. Having celebrated his 14th birthday in January, this will be the last year of racing for the diminutive pacer with the large heart.