Lighthill Trot, Goldschmidt Pace feature at Cal Expo

The $12,500 Joe Lighthill Trot and the $12,500 Dave Goldschmidt Pace share the spotlight at Cal Expo Saturday night.

There will be 10 races presented under the Watch and Wager LLC banner and things will get under way at 6:35 p.m.

The Lighthill will find All Champy (Explosive Matter) eyeing his third straight victory at the head of the trotting class, while Dancin Lance (Always A Virgin) and Alilthundadownunda (Malak Uswaad N) get a rematch in the Goldschmidt after a close finish in last week’s top dance for the pacers.

All Champy comes into the Lighthill having recorded back-to-back Open victories with Lous Lancelot being his most immediate victim.

He has put his class and versatility on display in his last two starts, coming from last to get the job done two weeks ago and then taking matters into his own hands last week with a coast-to-coast performance for Roland.

The 11-year-old is owned by Steve Chambers, hails from the Kathie Plested barn and will once again have Nick Roland at the controls.

Dancin Lance will be seeking a hat trick in the Goldschmidt for owner/trainer Juan Pacheco and driver Sean Smithpeters. The 9-year-old son of Always A Virgin has captured 55 of his 206 outings with $235,000 in the bank and a 1:50 1/5 standard.

After taking an Open III event two weeks ago, Dancin Lance returned to the top level for his last assignment. He was able to make an easy lead that night, moderated the fractions and did an encore.

Alilthundadownunda ready to rumble

Nick Roland feels Alilthundadownunda couldn’t be coming into Saturday night’s Dave Goldschmidt Pace any better, so fair warning to his rivals.

The 7-year-old homebred carries the banner of Set The Pace Racing LLC and driver/trainer Roland will be looking for career victory No. 41 with this Minnesota-bred.

“We bought his broodmare (Wild About Eagle) from Steve and Kathie Wiseman after she finished her racing days,” Roland related.

“Alilthundadownunda was a late bloomer and just okay as a 2-year-old, but he really blossomed at 3 and ended up winning 17 races and was named Horse of the Year. He was also invited to some big races that season.”

Fast forward four years and Alilthundadownunda is still going strong and figures to be well backed in this weekend’s free-for-all event.

He’s coming off back-to-back runner-up efforts and his mentor feels he is peaking at just the right time for this assignment.

“Two races back he suffered from poor cover and gave me a real nice finish, and then last week he got past (Dancin Lance) in the stretch, but thought it was over and that horse came back on to beat us.”

Alilthundadownunda has proven that he can get the job done from anywhere in the field, but Roland noted he is “probably best when he has a target.”

by Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness