Rockin With Lou has eyes on Joe Alto Memorial

A pair of carryovers; the $12,500 Joe Alto Memorial for pacing fillies and mares; two eliminations for the Alan Horowitz and an Open Pace headline a solid Sunday night (Dec. 18) harness racing program at Cal Expo Harness.

There will be 11 races decided under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with first post set for 4:55 p.m.

There is a $13,670 carryover in the 20-cent early Pick 5 on the first five races of the night with a $50,000-guaranteed gross pool and a reduced 16 percent takeout rate. There is also a 6,774 carryover in the 20-cent Hi Five with a $25,000-guaranteed pool on the 11th and final contest.

Rockin With Lou (Sweet Lou), coming off back-to-back wins at the head of the class for Gerry Longo, gets top billing in the Joe Alto.

A 5-year-old mare out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare Ram Rocker, Rockin With Lou is owned, trained and driven by Longo and comes into this assignment with 32 wins from her 89 starts, $248,000 in earnings and a 1:52 3/5 career standard that was set her last season.

After finishing second in her first start at the meet, Rockin With Lou has been the queen of the Open ranks. She was up by a head over Sunday rival Marys Pretty Girl on November 27, then had a much easier time taking the measure of that one the following week while storming from off the pace in the top dance for the pacing distaffers.

Marys Pretty Girl will be looking to turn the tables for owner Corbin Stables Inc, trainer Greig Watson and pilot Rene Goulet. She is looking for her 16th lifetime snapshot and is poised to go over the $100,000 plateau with a 1:52 3/5 mark set at Hawthorne Park.

Completing the field for the Alto, which goes as the fifth race on the evening, are Johnnys Gal June, Uniquerock, Delightfully Wild, Western Summit, Pure Addition and Dilly Dilly Time.

Delightfully Wild has sights on No. 50

After gliding over a sloppy track in coast-to-coast fashion last weekend with veteran Chip Lackey at the controls, Delightfully Wild (Bettor’s Delight) will eye career victory No. 50 when she suits up in Sunday evening’s featured Joe Alto Memorial Pace.

A soon-to-be 10-year-old mare, Delightfully Wild is the pride and joy of co-owners Richard Morita and David Yamada and trainer Lino Pacheco.

She went over the $261,000 mark in earnings last Sunday and sports a 1:51 1/5 mark that was set at Pocono Downs four years ago.

“Delightfully Wild is our favorite mare out of all those we’ve owned,” Morita related after last weekend’s score “David and I purchased her from the Delaware sale late in her 3-year-old year and we were fortunate that Gretchen Smith was at the sale and successfully bid for her.

“She has been an absolute warrior. She’ll race with any mares, but she does like to have her own way. At her advanced age, that is rare. We thank Lino and Jessie Pacheco for the fine care she’s received, which has allowed her to be successful over so many years.”

Delightfully Wild will have her work cut out this weekend in the Alto but will certainly let them know they’ve been in a fight with Lackey back in the sulky.

There will be no racing next week, with the trotters and pacers back in action on a special Monday, December 26 program.

For complete Sunday race entries, click here.

by Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness