Bergstein Trot, $25,000 Sire Stakes at Cal Expo

The $12,500 Stan Bergstein Trot featuring the locally unbeaten Body Armor and a $25,000 Sire Stakes headed by Cenalta Token and Gotubydashorthairs are the highlights of the harness racing card on Sunday evening (Apr. 23) at Cal Expo Harness.

Watch and Wager LLC will present nine races with things getting under way at 4:55 p.m.

Body Armor (Creatine) has been very impressive capturing his starts since arriving here from Pennsylvania for owner/driver/trainer Gerry Longo.

His first start came in the March 5 Gary Budahn where he was a game winner in first-over fashion, then he followed with a coast-to-coast Open tally.

Body Armor’s most recent outing came three weeks ago when he made every pole a winning one after taking serious pressure turning for home, prevailing by a neck for Longo.

Opposing him in the Bergstein are his stablemate Mandeville, Pridecrest, Adagio De La Tour and Rock Party.

Three different performers have posed for pictures following the Sire Stakes for the sophomore pacing fillies, with Meechee, Gotubytheshorthairs and Cenalta Token each picking up a trophy.

In last week’s stakes clash, Gutubytheshorthairs was the 1-9 choice after a romping win, but made a break down the backstretch and eliminated herself.

It was Centalta Token who parlayed a two-hole trip into a victory that evening for owner/breeders Gordon, Helen and Myrna Empey with Gordon the conditioner.

Body Armor, Longo loom large in Bergstein

Having already accounted for the Gary Budahn and a pair of Opens in his three appearances since arriving from Pennsylvania, Body Armor will be looking for the cherry on the sundae in the Stan Bergstein Trot.

“Before the meet started, I put out the word I was looking for a trotter,” Gerry Longo related. “I got prices on four from the Ron Burke barn and I liked what I’d seen from this horse at Northfield as a 3-year-old and went ahead and bought him.”

Body Armor may have been a little late to the party, not starting here until March, but has made up for lost time and established himself as the top trotter on the grounds for owner/driver/trainer Longo.

“If anybody beats Body Armor, I think it’s going to be Mandeville,” Longo said. “He needed his last race and he’s coming around now.”

“He’s been very game here, especially his last race where he was hooked and just kept on going.”

Longo will have two bullets in the Bergstein, as he will also be represented by the veteran Mandeville, who has gone many big miles over this layout with 52 wins on his resume and over $433,000 in the bank.

At the same time, Gerry noted this race comes up pretty salty with the likes of track record holder Pricecrest and a very sharp Rock Party among the main rivals.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Mark Ratzky, for Cal Expo Harness