Cal Expo cards Gary Budahn Trot

All Champy (Explosive Matter), a winner of four of his seven harness racing appearances this season, looks to up that impressive batting average in Friday night’s $12,500 Gary Budahn FFA Trot at Cal Expo.

The Budahn will headline a nine-race program under the auspices of Watch and Wager LLC and things get started at 6:45 p.m.

All Champy is an 11-year-old son of Explosive Matter who is owned by Steve Chambers, is conditioned by Kathie Plested and will again have Nick Roland in the sulky.

He proved a punctual favorite in the Joe Lighthill on January 25, had a tough trip at next asking but returned to his winning ways in last week’s Open Trot as he was parked to the lead past the quarter and went on to a solid length and a half decision.

It was win No. 48 from 228 trips to the post for All Champy who has $667,000 in the bank and a 1:52 1/5 mark that was established six years ago over the five-eighths Dover Downs course.

Dylan The Great recorded back-to-back Open scores last month and was a solid runner-up to All Champy in last week’s top dance after being fanned wide to the stretch.

David Dobbelmann owns, Alexia Kehl trains and Sean Smithpeters has the return assignment.

Completing the field are Pridecrest, Valottalove, and Help Page.

Svendsen, Pridecrest eye another Budahn score

Mooney Svendsen and the veteran trotter Pridecrest will be gunning for a second victory in the Gary Budahn Trot when the race is renewed at Cal Expo Friday night.

The Chris Schick-owned, Kathie Plested-trained 13-year-old will be seeking his 66th lifetime snapshot from 270 starts with $569,000 in the bank and a 1:53 2/5 career standard.

“My favorite trotter used to Claudius Augustus, but now it’s this guy,” Svendsen informed.

Of course, Claudius Augustus was a top-class performer here while racing for Gary and Debbi Budahn, bringing things full circle for Mooney.

Claudius Augustus still holds the track record here for an aged horse with his 1:54 3/5 tour in April of 2008.

“I grew up in Minnesota with Gary and our dads both raced,” Svendsen related. “Winning a race named for him is always special.”

by Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness