Sire Stakes atop Cal Expo marquee

Alien Art Form (Outrageous Art) and Celebrity Status (Vlos), who each have a big-money victory at this meet, eye a second harness racing trophy on Saturday night in the $20,000 California Sire Stakes for the 4-year-old pacing males.

There will be 10 races conducted by Watch and Wager LLC and first post is 6:42 p.m.

The first stakes clash of the season for this division came on February 7 and it was 6-1 shot Celebrity Status who was taking bows for Set The Pace Racing LLC and driver/trainer Nick Roland.

After being to the lead past the quarter, he dug in gamely at crunch time to hold safe by a neck over his pocket-sitting stablemate Search And Destroy that evening.

When this group last gathered on March 7 for a Sire Stakes, Alien Art Form got the job done with a powerful finish for owner/driver/trainer Ryan Grundy.

Once again it was Set The Pace Racing’s Search And Destroy who had to settle for a near miss after taking a midstretch lead.

Rounding out the cast are SaySo’s Wind Up, Rocklikeahurricane, Bro Hug, Fiery Conclusion and Sylvester.

‘Thunda, Divine Art turn the tables

After having to settle for the place money behind Its Pointless in back-to-back Open Paces this month, Nick Roland changed tactics with Alilthundadownunda in last weekend’s Arnstine Pace and got the job done against his odds-on rival.

In the previous two starts Alilthundadownunda had race on or near the lead and been overhauled by the long-fused Its Pointless, but he actually sat behind that foe in the Arnstine and rode a second-over trip to prevail by a length.

Both pacers went powerful miles, with the 1:51 4/5 final clocking being the fastest tour of the oval this season.

Meanwhile, Divine Art, who is best known for rattling off 17 straight wins two years ago, added the Rod Knittel Pace to her impressive resume two weeks ago.

Owned, trained and driven by 79-year-old Gerry Longo, the 6-year-old daughter of Outrageous Art was posing for pictures for the 38th time from 104 starts and pushed her earnings over the $425,000 mark in the process.

Sent off at 5-1 in the Knittel, Divine Art did it the hard way as she sat third early for Longo, was up first-over to engage odds-on Graceful Horizon and put in a tremendous stretch surge to win clear by three lengths in a 1:53 3/5 tour.

by Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness