Dominant pacer takes on Canadian invader

Sign Of The Times (Special Forces), who has won his three races at the meet by a combined 35 lengths; and Canadian invader Alien Art Form (Outrageous Art) head the harness racing cast for Friday night’s featured $13,800 Will Meyers Pacing Final.

First post for the Watch and Wager LLC program will be 6:45 p.m.

There are three wager Friday night with a reduced 16 percent takeout rate – the 20-cent Pick 5 and the 20-cent early and late Pick 4- with a $15,000-guaranteed gross pool on the Pick 5 and a $20,000 guarantee on the late Pick 4.

The Pick 4 is part of the US Trotting Association Strategic Wagering program and free pp’s for the Pick 5 are available at USTA.com

Sign Of The Times is a 5-year-old Iowa-bred who has absolutely obliterated the competition in his three appearances at this meet for owners Rick Bertrand and Ashless Glader with Bertrand training and Mooney Svendsen along for the ride.

He crushed conditioned foes by 13 and 12 lengths in his first two starts at this meet, then captured his Meyers elimination by just shy of 10 lengths.

Alien Art Form was making his California debut in the other Meyers elimination and timed it just right for owner/driver/trainer Ryan Grundy to hang a half-length decision on 1-2 favorite JK Parcells in that affair.

Congratulations to Alexia Kehl, who recorded her first pari-mutuel driving victory with her trotter Serene Hall on Saturday night.

Chambers credits competition for All Champy

Admiration for the popular trotter Pridecrest provided the inspiration for Steve Chambers to currently campaign one of the top sidewheelers on the grounds in All Champy.

In last week’s Open Trot, the Kathie Plested trainee tracked favorite Lous Lancelot to the stretch, took over when that one made a break and went on to a clear-cut victory with Nick Roland in the sulky.

It was the 44th lifetime score from 221 starts for the newly-turned 11-year-old Pennsylvania-bred.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Pridecrest,” Chambers related. “I knew that Gilbert Herrera was planning to retire and I asked him if he could find me a top trotter big enough for me to drive before he left the East Coast racing scene.

“My dream was to drive in the Open Trot every week against Pridecrest and Gilbert sent us a very big, very classy but also rather difficult guy in All Champy.

“Kathie did an outstanding job getting him to win the Wiseman Trot at Running Aces this summer. It was a highlight of my time as an owner, and he was masterfully handled by Mooney Svensden.“

After finishing a solid second on opening week in his first start in nearly three months, All Champy was ready to rock and roll last week with Roland doing the honors.

“Kathie said I’m not ready to get in the bike yet, but I’m pleased we have Nick handling the lines,” Steve added.

by Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness