by Mark Ratzky, publicity department, Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — The Pick-Six, reduced to one dollar, and trotters command the spotlight at Cal-Expo on Thursday night (March 6), with Easter Call, NV Warlord and Jess Or No racing in a $6,300 affair going as the seventh race, while Howwilddoyawantme eyes a repeat victory in a $5,500 contest that occupies the ninth race slot.

Howwilddoyawantme has fired nothing but bullets in her last three starts for Rick Plano. She won seven times from 42 appearances last season and has clicked twice from nine tries on the new year.

The dark-hued mare dipped down to the $3,000 level on February 15 and responded to the class drop with a nice win that saw her coming a sharp :27.4 final quarter, then bumped back up to this level the following week and just missed to Jess Or No over a sloppy track.

Off as the 5-2 second choice in her most recent try while getting back on fast going, the Maryann Plano color-bearer took advantage of a break by Jess Or No in that affair and was a solid first-over winner by three-quarters of a length while lowering her career standard to 1:56.4 in the process. The Plano barn also sends out Don Pauli in this race with Luke Plano at the controls.

Lou Pena has a solid pair in the other trotting event with the uncoupled duo of Easter Call and Cherry Tree Luke. The former has a couple of Open wins to his credit of late and will have Pena in the bike, while Jim Lackey has the call behind Cherry Tree Luke.

Jess Or No will be trying to make amends after jumping off-stride while on the lead down the backside as the chalk in last week’s try. Ed Hensley drives and trains the 5-year-old British Sterling offspring who was game in getting the job done on the front end in the slop two weeks ago for owner Jessica Hensley.

Jess Or No sports a 1:57 mark and is looking to add to a $132,000 bank account. He scored eight wins last season, including that 1:57 mile, and has two snapshots from nine trips to the post in 2008. If he can avoid a break here, he could easily get hack to his winning ways.

Ailene’s Prince rolling right along

Through the first two months of this year, the trotter Ailene’s Prince has already recorded eight victories for the combination of owner Mary Harris, trainer Kennedy Lindsey and pilot Lemoyne Svendsen. By the way, this makes him the winningest performer of any gait in the country.

The red-hot performer will be looking for another trip to the charmed enclosure in Thursday’s (March 6) seventh race, where he will be moving up in class to take on some tough customers while leaving from the middle of an eight-horse field.

The 4-year-old son of New Age Hanover has been doing most of his winning on the front end, including last weekend’s score, but go one back and you’ll note he prevailed after a first-over journey.

“He was first up and raced tough that night,” Lindsey related after the hard-earned head decision over General Jag. “He’s racing very well right now, but won himself out of that condition and has to move up a level.”

Ailene’s Prince is one of four horses Kennedy currently conditions for Harris, who has a farm in Lodi.

“You couldn’t ask for a nicer owner,” he said. “She leaves the training up to me, and anything I need she says to go ahead and do it.”

Whatever Lindsey is doing with this trotter, it’s obviously working. Ailene’s Prince lowered his lifetime standard to 1:58.1 on February 11 in a coast-to-coast tour, and comes into this mile off three straight scores. It gets a lot more challenging now as he steps up the class ladder for Thursday’s tour.

Speaking of win machines, right on his heels with seven wins from her nine outings this year is the amazing pacer Cam’s Gidget. She clicked 17 times last season for owner/trainer/driver Robley Johnson, and she’s on an even hotter pace in 2008 as she continues to dominate her distaff rivals with her wicked moves.

In addition to win, place, show, exacta and trifecta betting, the wagering format at this meeting now being operated by the California Exposition & State Fair (Cal-Expo) will find a daily double on the first two events. There will also be Pick-3 wagering throughout the evening and a 10-cent and $1 superfecta will be offered on all races with the appropriate number of starters.

A $1 Pick-6 will begin with the fourth race on the program and there will be a 70/30 split. A pair of $1 Pick-4’s are also on tap, with the early one commencing on the second race, while the final Pick-4 covers the last four contests of the evening.

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Thursday (March 6) at 6:30 p.m. (PST), and will continue through Saturday (March 8). Post time on Friday and Saturday night is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. (PST). On Thursday, Cal-Expo offers Fiesta Thursdays, in which fans can enjoy $2.00 frozen margaritas and tacos!