Dancin Lance one to watch at Cal Expo

Dancin Lance (Always A Virgin), who has turned in back-to-back solid scores here, looks to keep the momentum going in Sunday night’s (Dec. 17) harness racing featured Open Pace.

Watch and Wager LLC will present 10 races with first post set for 4:50 p.m.

Dancin Lance is a 7-year-old owned by Juan Pacheco, hails from the Leon Smith barn and will again have Jake Cutting giving directions.

After shipping in from Hoosier Park, Dancin Lance made his first start at the meet in a conditioned event on December 3 and made every pole a winning one to prevail by a length and a half.

In last week’s Open, leaving from the cozy rail slot, Cutting made a brush to the lead past the quarter, fought off a strong challenge turning for home and got the job done by two lengths in a powerful performance.

Dancin Lance comes into this assignment with 27 wins from his 16 starts, a 1:50 1/5 mark that was established earlier this year in Indiana and $189,000 in his bank account.

Major Offense (Art Major) had his win streak snapped at three when he completed the exacta behind Dancin Lance last week.

The gelding closed out his Running Aces campaign with a win and captured his first two starts at this meet, including the December 1 Open Pace.

Completing the field Reagan Blue Chip, Bunkerhill Phil, Mystery Dragon and A Major Omen.

Down It, Mark Kennedy light up tote

Last week’s racing got off to quite a start with Down It and driver Mark Kennedy getting the job done to the tune of $86, which in turn was the spark to an $8,707 Pick-5 payoff for a 20-cent investment.

Down It is a 4-year-old pacer owned and trained by Jose Castillo who had settled for minor awards in his first three starts at the meet.

“I knew something was different right away,” Kennedy related after the victory. “The last two times I had driven him he was very easy to take off the gate, but this time he wanted to roll so I went on with him.

“I tried to find a hole, but there wasn’t one, so I took him on to the front. Normally when I make the lead they come after me right away, but this time we didn’t get a challenge after he made the top.

“He was going go so easily I didn’t realize we were going those kinds of fractions and I felt I had plenty of horse turning for home.”

As things turned out, Down It prevailed by three-quarters of a length while getting the race week here off to a bang.

Mark was actually away from the game for five years before returning at this meet a year ago and is looking forward to getting his picture many more times.

by Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness