In-form Graceful Horizon aims for more silverware

Graceful Horizon (Vertical Horizon), a winner of 7 of her 11 appearances this harness racing season, eyes another photo session in Sunday night’s $30,000 Bill Vallandingham DHA Pace for fillies and mares.

The 11-race Watch and Wager LLC program will also feature a pair of $20,000 California Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old pacers and things get underway at 4:50 p.m.

A 6-year-old mare, Graceful Horizon carries the banner of Set The Pace Racing LLC with Nick Roland driving and training.

The last time these distaffers got together for a DHA contest, Graceful Horizon showed the way early, was headed in the stretch but gamely re-rallied to prevail over Divine Art (Outrageous Art) in that March 31 contest.

In last week’s Kirk Breed Pace, Roland sat just off some sparkling fractions with his charge, ignited along the rail in the stretch and pulled away to a two and quarter length score in a lifetime best 1:51 2/5.

Divine Art went a big mile last week in the Breed, checking in third after being parked the mile and may prove the main rival. Gerry Longo owns, drives and trains the mare, who is seeking her 30th win from 71 lifetime appearances.

Set to line up against them this weekend are Give Me This Dance, What Cheer, Senga Nightmare, Shirley Skip Shady and Wish I Had Thyme.

Looking at the two Sire Stakes, Little Miss Boss will seek an encore in the distaff contest while Fiery Conclusion was taking pictures following the most recent stakes clash for the males.

Fiery Conclusion picks up first trophy

Fiery Conclusion (Wind Me Up) was a game winner of the most recent Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old male pacers, gamely prevailing over Celebrity Status who had accounted for the first two big-money contests at the meet for this group.

Fiery Conclusion was only making the third start of his career for his owner/driver/trainer Gerry Longo, spotting most of his stakes rivals an experience edge that evening.

He will look to another trophy to the case when the final Sire Stakes for this group is decided next week.

“I bought him last year and he developed a little filling, so I gave him some time off and pointed for his 3-year-old campaign,” Longo related.

“Even though he won his qualifier easily, he only came home in 30 and a piece, but in his second start when he closed into that slow pace with a :27 and change final quarter, I started to be impressed.”

In last week’s Sire Stakes, Fiery Conclusion sat third early, brushed to the front past the quarter and then had enough left to hold safe by a head over even-money Celebrity Status in a 1:58 2/5 tour.

“I wanted to track Celerity Status, but when that longshot (Say So’s Wind Up) took the lead, I said, ‘What the heck’ and sent my horse up there. He surprised me how game he was in the stretch, it being only his third start and all.”

by Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness