Sire Stakes action returns to Cal Expo

A $20,000 California Sire Stakes for the 4-year-old pacing fillies headed by Senga Nightmare gets the harness racing marquee treatment Friday evening at Cal Expo Harness.

Watch and Wager LLC will present 10 races with a first post of 6:45 p.m. The co-feature is a $7,000 Open Pace that brings out Allmyx’sliventexas, Its Pointless and A Major Omen.

Friday night’s main event kicks off 20 Sire Stakes events worth a total of $385,000 that will be decided at this meet for the 3 and 4-year-old pacers.

Under legislation that was passed in 2017, eligible horses can now come from California, Minnesota, Michigan, Alberta, Wisconsin, Iowa and Maine

There will be four $20,000 contests for the 4-year-old fillies and a like number of $20,000 events for the 4-year-old males, with $50,000 finals for both divisions set for the week of April 15.

Meanwhile, on February 18 the 3-year-olds will get their first chance at the big money. The first round of Sire Stakes for those pacing colts and fillies will be worth $7,500 and will be followed by four $15,000 contests for each of those divisions.

Looking at Friday’s line-up, Senga Nightmare will be looking for her fourth win from her last six starts for owner/driver/trainer Ryan Grundy while leaving from the outside post. She captured the Funicello/Holt Final on December 17 and was second in the Jack Williams Final earlier this month.

Lining up against her, from the rail out: Shewentthataway, Tartan Patch, Doubleontherocks, Cookiesncream, Rockin The Dragon, Witch Hunter and May Day Maggie.

La Diva, La Madawna do Tupper proud

Nobody was happier with the results of last Friday evening’s nitecap than Cindy Tupper, who watched her homebred full sisters La Diva De Rosa and La Madawna De Rosa finish one-three in the pacing event.

Both conditioned by Emilio Cisneros, the 9-year-old La Madawna De Rosa waltzed home by two and a quarter-lengths with Luke Plano in the sulky while 13-year-old La Madawna De Rosa rounded out the show spot for James Kennedy.

For the record, La Diva De Rosa was winning for the 27th time from her 213 lifetime trips to the post, while her full sister/barnmate has posed for pictures 22 times from her 220 appearances. Both sport 1:53 lifetime marks with over six figures in the bank.

“I think this is only the only the second or third time they’ve been in the same and it was challenging to watch,” said a proud owner/breeder Tupper.

Off some so-so efforts to begin this meet, La Diva De Rosa was dispatched at 9-1 in last week’s assignment. She was reserved early, made a big first-over move for Plano down the backside and then completely dominated the opposition in the 1:56 2/5 mile.

“Diva is 11 now and her performance last year wasn’t her best with just one win. I gave her the summer off and thought she’d come back stronger than she has so far. Her trainer Emilio says she’s feeling good now and no explanation why she hadn’t been coming home like she used to before this last start.

“I’m optimistic her win won’t be her last and the beginning of a few more before the meet ends.”

As for La Madawna De Rosa, Cindy had praise for her performance as she came from well back to round out the trifecta. “I had a feeling she would be flying in the stretch and she sure was, as she was the oldest mare in the race with the fastest last quarter.”

By Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness