Lous Lancelot aims for Open repeat

Lous Lancelot (Lous Legacy), who proved a punctual harness racing favorite in the first Open Trot of the meet two weeks ago, looks for an encore in Friday night’s $7,700 headliner at Cal Expo.

Watch and Wager LLC will present nine races with first post set for 6:45 p.m.

This week will see the beginning of a Friday and Saturday night schedule that will run through May 2, with first post on Saturdays at 6:30 p.m.

Friday’s card will feature three reduced 16 percent takeout wagers and a $1,630 carryover in the 20-cent Pick 7.

The low takeout bets are the 20-cent early and late Pick 5 and the 20-cent Pick 4, the latter being part of the US Trotting Association Strategic Wagering program.

Lous Lancelot is a 5-year-old son of Lou’s Legacy who is owned by Elliot Gorov, takes his lessons from Chip Lackey and will once again have Luke Plano giving directions.

Sent off the 4-5 choice on opening week in the top dance for the trotting set, he made every pole a winning one that evening to show the way home by a length over All Champy.

The latter will be gunning for some revenge Friday night for owner Steve Chambers, trainer Kathy Plested and pilot Nick Roland.

Winner of the Steve Wiseman at Running Aces in August, this 10-year-old gelding sat the pocket trip behind Lous Lancelot and finished a length behind that rival in a solid initial effort at this stand.

Silverhill Volo back in familiar place

Talk about fine wine.

The soon-to-be 14-year-old trotter Silverhill Volo was recording the 44th victory of his career last week and closed in on the $300,000 earnings mark for his 72-years-young owner/driver/trainer Chip Lackey.

He certainly looked like his old self in last week’s score. He left smartly to the lead from the No 9 post, let favored SD Eliminator cover him up on backside and then left that rival once straightened for home in a four and a quarter-length romp.

It shouldn’t be long before it is back to the Open ranks for this veteran, who is no stranger to getting the job done at the top level here at Cal Expo.

Speaking of sharp performances, Wavzeka and Sign Of The Times are both perfect in two starts at the meet.

Wavzeka actually dropped a hint a week before the stand began with a sizzling 1:54 3/5 qualifier and has come back to capture a conditioned affair and then last week’s Filly and Mare Open for owner Maria Ramirez, trainer Ariel Alvarez and pilot Sean Smithpeters.

Meanwhile, Sign Of The Times may have well set a record here at Cal Expo with back-to-back double-digit scores to kick off the meet for owners Bertrand and Glader, trainer Rick Bertrand and driver Mooney Svendsen. Up the ladder for him.

by Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness