Pridecrest looks to return to winning ways

Pridecrest (Angus Hall), who had a four-race win streak snapped when runner-up in the Gary Budahn Free-For-All two weeks ago, looks to get back on the winning track in Friday night’s (March 29) harness racing featured $7,700 Open Trot at Cal Expo Harness.

There will be nine races conducted under the Watch and Wager LLC banner and things will get underway at 6:45 p.m.

Pridecrest is a 12-year-old who races for Chris Schick, takes his lessons from Kathie Plested and will as usually have Mooney Svendsen in the sulky.

He comes into this assignment with 60 wins from his 241 starts, $533,000 in his account and a mark of 1:53 2/5 that was established over this course seven years ago.

He won four straight starts between late January and early March, including the Joe Lighthill, putting his class and versatility on display in the process.

Sent off the close second choice in the March 17 Gary Budahn, Pridecrest tracked Jack Rabbit Slims most of the mile and was no match, finishing two and three-quarters of a length behind that rival while clear of the rest.

Louis was third in the Budahn and would appear to be the main threat for owner David Dobbelmann, trainer Darryl Cutting and pilot Jake Cutting. He has an Open and an Open II victory to his credit this season.

Completing the cast are Peter’s Royalty, Silverhill Volo, Help Page, Daytona Dreamin and Mandeville.

Help Page, Senga Nightmare get photo session

Help Page and Senga Nightmare both scored popular victories last week for trainers Alexia Kehl and Ryan Grundy, respectively.

Help Page was winning his second straight since getting some class relief, doing the perfect track-and-attack for regular pilot Sean Smithpeters.

Alexia Kehl is a 33-year-old Wisconsin native who always had a love of horses, but it wasn’t until about 15 years ago that she found herself in the world of harness racing while working as a groom for Dave Magee at the then new Running Aces in Minnesota.

She took out her training license in 2011 and has steadily built her reputation and is now spending her second season here at Cal Expo with Help Page giving her three snapshots from eight appearances on the year.

On that same program, the hard-hitting Senga Nightmare got the job done in facile fashion for the 23rd time in her 98-race career for her owner/driver/trainer Ryan Grundy.

Sent off the mild 9-5 choice in that conditioned affair, Senga Nightmare made it look easy as she brushed to the front down the backside was never challenged thereafter while posting a four and three-quarter length romp.

“I’ve had her since her first start,” Grundy noted about the daughter of Vertical Horizon. “I guess you would describe her as being workmanlike and a pleasure to have in the barn.”

by Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness