by Mark Ratzky, publicity department, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — Wednesday night means another edition of the Bal-Cal Pick 4 Challenge, which combines two races at Balmoral Park (races 10 and 11) in Illinois with a pair (races 9 and 10) from Cal-Expo. The $1 wager comes attached with a $25,000 guaranteed pool. This week will be the final Bal-Cal until October, as there will be no Wednesday harness racing at Cal-Expo during the month of September. As a result, there will be a mandatory payoff. Post time for the first leg of the Bal-Cal Challenge will be at approximately 8:26 p.m. (PDT).

Last week saw each dollar ticket return over $7,200, with one upset in the Balmoral races and one at Cal-Expo. The Chicago winners paid $5 and $17, and things started smoothly here with Rich And Roll clicking at $8 with Steve Wiseman.

The fireworks in the sequence came thanks to The Gangster, who is quickly becoming the darling of the longshot players for his owner/driver/trainer Richard Stepien. He was 7-1 when he scored one back, then moved up in class and had the demanding 10 post for last week’s assignment, yet still went coast-to-coast to prevail by a nostril while lighting up the board at 44-1 in that affair.

Speaking of Stepien, the Reno Highway Patrol sergeant has just a pair of performers under his care, making the two and a half-hour trek from his home with them and then shipping right back the same evening.

The Wednesday, August 15, program was a memorable one for Stepien, as he scored the first victory of his career behind The Gangster, then came back an hour later to score with Boastful Hanover in a $35 surprise.

Both of these pacers returned to work last Wednesday night and did well. In addition to The Gangster’s upset in the finale, Boastful Hanover carved out the fractions in her event and held for the second money behind heavy favorite Stobies Fame.

Metekas makes local debut in feature at Cal-Expo

Metekas, an Eastern invader under the care of Rick Plano, figures to get plenty of attention in Wednesday’s (August 29) main event as he joins a field of seven pacers that will face starter Bill Vallandingham in this $3,500 affair.

A 3-year-old son of Life Sign, out of the Niatross mare Niafreight, Metekas is owned by Mary Ann Plano. He sports a 1:56.4 mark established last season over the five-eighths Pocono Downs oval.

The Plano representative was very impressive in last week’s qualifying mile, which saw him leaving his rivals nearly 10 lengths in his wake. Metekas left smartly for the lead, caving out fractions of :27.3, :56.3 and 1:27.4 for the three-quarters. He continued to widen his advantage through the lane, arriving at the wire in a 1:57.2 clocking.

With that strong tour under his belt, he should be ready to strike in what would appear to be a very accommodating spot here.

Jay Bee’s Muffie is coming off a nice third at 31-1 with this kind last week and has to be respected. The 5-year-old daughter of Cole Muffler and the New Zealander mare Jay Bee’s Risk N is an Eileen Brodbar homebred who takes her lessons from Jean Mac Donell and will have Lemoyne Svendsen at the controls.

A 1:53.4 victress two years ago, Jay Bee’s Muffie has a pair of snapshots to her credit this season and rebounded with that good show finish last time after suffering through a couple of tough trips in her previous miles. Used for early position in that one, she was shuffled some midway and was coming well at the end behind a solid winner in Rich And Roll that evening.

Leadmeastray goes postward for owner/driver/trainer Gene Vallandingham and this guy was first-over in that Rich And Roll event and could not stick with them when push came to shove. He has four victories this season and helps make things interesting.

The field is completed by Manstorm with Jason Ricco; Zoom Zoom Zoom N, Lou Pena; Thecurrentoperator for James Kennedy; Jane The Brain with Gilbert Herrera; and Fullback In Motion, to be guided by Luke Plano.

A 10-race program is on tap, with the headliner set as the seventh on the evening. The action continues this week with Thursday, Friday and Saturday night programs, with this weekend seeing the first round of Sires Stakes action for the 2-year-old trotters and pacers.

Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Wednesday (August 29), continuing through Saturday. Post time on Wednesday and Thursday is 6:15 p.m. (PDT). Post time on Friday and Saturday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. On Wednesday, Cal-Expo offers a complete lasagna dinner, with salad and bread, for just $2.00.

Cal-Expo offers guaranteed $10,000 pools on all Pick-4’s!