JP Jetty takes on Worthy Opponent again Friday

JP Jetty (Mystery Chase), a game harness racing winner of the first stakes for the 4-yer-old pacing males at this meet; and Worthy Opponent (Hi Ho Silverheels), the beaten 1-5 favorite in that contest, get another chance to settle the score in Friday night’s (Feb. 24) $20,000 Sire Stakes at Cal Expo Harness.

Watch and Wager LLC will present 11 races and first post is set for 6:45 p.m. The fourth race on the evening is a double event which features four pacers and three trotters.

JP Jetty has now prevailed in four of his six lifetime appearances for Qks Racing and trainer Quentin Schneider and will once again have Mel Mullet guiding.

Sent off the 7-2 second choice in last week’s initial stakes opportunity at the session for this group, he sat last in the early stages before beginning a move for Mullet down the backstretch.

JP Jetty was up to engage pace-setting Worthy Opponent at midstretch and gradually wore down the favorite for the three-quarters of a length score while earning his first trophy.

Worthy Opponent has multiple stakes wins on his resume and will looking for some revenge. The homebred races for Wayne Knittel, is conditioned by Bob Johnson and has Luke Plano back in the sulky.

Rounding out the field are Minnekhada Joe, Rosco P. Coletrain and Cenalta Hawk

Bold New Beginning realizing potential

Bold New Beginning (JK Endofanera) made it two wins in a row last weekend in another strong performance for Luke Plano, lowering her mark to 1: 56 flat.

The 4-year-old pacing mare is owned and was bred in Indiana by Billie Schwartz and Jim Wilkinson and takes her lessons from Wilkinson. She’ll suit up once again in Friday’s third race.

Sent off at 7-2 in last Sunday’s foray, Plano brushed to the front past the quarter and took complete control of things, reporting to the wire with two and a half lengths to spare.

“We’ve always liked her and tried to get her to the Sire Stakes in Indiana last year, but she wasn’t sound, and we gave her some time,” Wilkinson noted.

“She’s nicely bred, and her dam is a full sister to a multiple stakes winner we had here named A Real Miracle. It seems like she’s really coming around now.”

Schwartz and Wilkinson have had one of the most successful partnerships in the game, campaigning some 22 stakes winners over the last 30 years, and it’s starting to look like Bold New Beginning might be made of the right stuff to add to that total.

“Billie is the best and we’re like family now,” Jim added. “In fact, we go back three generations with this filly.”

by Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness