by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Whip And A Prayer, one of the major players in last year’s big-money events for the pacing fillies, is ready to get back to work this week as the next round of Sire Stakes for her division get underway this Friday (April 8) at Cal Expo.

Gordie Graham conditions the Frank Nevarez homebred daughter of Hi Ho Silverheel’s and Rich Wojcio is the only driver she’s known. The diminutive distaffer came away with one stakes trophy last season while recording a second, a third and a fourth in the other three added-money gatherings.

“She’s not very big, but she’s a fighter and gives everything she has each and every time,” Graham related when asked about the filly, who hasn’t seen action since the Sire Stakes championship back in November.

“She had a real laid-back vacation after that race,” her mentor noted. “Because of the weather, we haven’t been able to get as ready as we would have hoped, and she’ll come into that first stakes with the two qualifiers.

“I expect her to be a little short, but talent-wise I certainly think she stacks up against any of them. She figures to be much tighter by the second stakes, because she’ll have two races under her belt when that one rolls around.”

Whip And A Prayer didn’t show much early interest in last year’s outings, but she came home in a hurry and used that solid late kick to handle her peers in the Nov. 5 stakes test. She was third behind Racetrack Diva in the aforementioned championship before going to the sidelines.

“She has shown that she likes to come from off the pace, and we won’t change her style,” Graham said. “As far as the competition goes, to be honest I haven’t really been scouting them, so we’ll just have to see how things shape up when they get together.”

Live racing resumes at Cal Expo on Thursday (April 7) and continues through Saturday (April 9). Post time on Thursday is 5:30 p.m. (PDT). Post time on Friday and Saturday is 6 p.m.