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Harness racing pacer Allmyx'sliventexas, who returned to his winning ways last week, heads the cast in Friday night's featured $7,200 Open Pace at Cal Expo Harness.
A 12-race card is on tap under the Wager and Wager LLC banner with first post set for 6:10 p.m. The main event goes as the ninth race of the evening.
Allmyx'sliventexas is a 7-year-old homebred son of Hi Ho Silverheel's who is owned by Wayne and Rod Knittel with Bob Johnson conditioning and Mooney Svendsen in his usual position in the sulky. They depart from the outside slot in the field of eight.
The hard-hitting California-bred comes into this assignment with 35 wins from his 114 appearances, $206,000 in his bank account and a 1:50 mark that was established two years ago at Hoosier Park.
Allmyx'sliventexas started the meet with a string of impressive victories, but was then upset as the heavy favorite in the December 14 Dave Goldschmidt and suffered two more setbacks before returning to his winning ways in last week's clash at the top level.
Sent off the 9-5 second choice in that affair, the Knittel colorbearer left from his outside post into a stalking position, attacked on the final bend and went on to a two-length score in a 1:52 1/5 tour.
Taking him on Friday are Part Time with Gerry Longo; King Of The Crop, Steve Wiseman; Almost Cut My Hair, Chip Lackey; Senga Nitro for Braxten Boyd; Merced Magic, Dave Magee; Mr. Varsity with Luke Plano; and Heza Real Diamond, who leave from the rail with Nick Roland at the helm.
Low Takeout wagers Offer true value
There are two wagers offered here each night that come with a reduced 16 percent takeout rate – the 20-cent Pick 5 on the first five events and the 20-cent Pick 4.
The Pick 4 now comes with a $40,000 guaranteed gross pool on Saturdays and a $30,000 guarantee on Fridays.
To see the true value these bets offer, you need go to only to last Friday night's Pick 5 that kicked off proceedings and that $1,504 return for every correct 20-cent investment.
The middle three winners were 6-5 Cenalta Gory, 9-5 Brighten Your Life and 8-5 Hagginatthebeach, with the sequence being completed by Fire Dance, who returned $12 to her backers.
The catalyst, of course, was the first race victory by Lodi Eat My Dust, who posted a $66 surprise while giving owner/trainer/driver Pierre Girard his initial victory of the meeting.
The 4-year-old homebred, co-owned by Mary Harris, had been failing to menace over off tracks, but got fast footing for this assignment and rode a second-over trip to the length decision.
Be sure to take a long look at both the Pick 4 and Pick 5 each night, with that added bonus of the reduced 16 percent takeout and the chance to make a nice score by stringing together the winning sequence.
By Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness
