Arnold Pace, Sire Stakes at Cal Expo

The $12,500 Lloyd Arnold FFA Pace that brings out Alilthundadownunda, Its Pointless and Capt Jack Hanover and a $20,000 California Sire Stakes featuring Skooch’s Valentine share the spotlight Friday evening at Cal Expo.

First post for the 10-race Watch and Wager LLC program is 6:45 p.m.

Alilthundadownunda and Its Pointless, second and third in a blanket finish behind longshot Capt Jack Hanover in last week’s Open Pace, get another chance to settle the score in the Arnold.

Its Pointless comes into this contest having won five of his nine starts this season, but has had to settle for minor awards in the last three outings while turning in solid efforts on each occasion.

The 8-year-old homebred son of Kent’s On Nuke carries the banner of Mark Anderson, hails from the Gordie Graham barn and will be handled by James Kennedy..

Alilthundadownunda is also having a strong year for Set The Pacing Racing LLC and driver/trainer Nick Roland, with his biggest score coming in the March 22 Arnstine Pace where he hung a length decision on Its Pointless.

Capt Jack Hanover upset both these pacers in last week’s Open, going coast-to-coast for driver/trainer John MacDonald with perfect rating as a 17-1 shot.

Looking at the Sire Stakes for pacing fillies, Skooch’s Valentine captured the most recent big-money event for this group on April 5, as she dug in gamely after taking command turning for home to prevail by a nose over DM Magic Player that night.

Skooch’s Valentine is a homebred daughter of Allamerican Merlin who races for Ronald Rettig-Zucchi and is reined and trained by Jessie Pacheco.

John MacDonald loaded for bear

John MacDonald comes into the final two weeks of the meet with several ultra-sharp performers in the shedrow.

Among MacDonald’s driving and training wins last week were Open Trot victor Valottalove; Open Pace upsetter Capt Jack Hanover and the streaking Tommy Shelby.

Valottalove has established himself as the king of the trotters with three straight impressive victories, including the Gary Budahn last month and a sizzling eight-length score in last weekend’s Open Trot with a 1:54 1/5 final clocking.

That makes the son of Love You the favorite for the Stan Bergstein Trot, which will be decided on closing night, Friday, May 2.

Capt Jack Hanover was the longest price on the board in last week’s Open Pace, but MacDonald put them to sleep on the front end.He then had enough left to hold safe in a blanket finish over divisional kingpins Alilthundadownunda and Its Pointless.

Meanwhile, Tommy Shelby is proving to be one of the best claims in recent memory with a five-race win streak in tow that has seen him go coast-to-coast in back-to-back 1:52 4/5 tours of Cal Expo.

by Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness