Rivalries highlight Cal Expo Sires Stakes Championships

A pair of excellent California Sire Stakes rivalries will be on display Sunday night at Cal Expo, with Alilthundadownunda and Chase The Gold squaring off in the $50,000 Championship event for the 4-year-old pacing males, while Ihopeurhappynow and Worthy Opponent renew acquaintances in the $15,000 Championship contest for the 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

Watch and Wager LLC will present 12 races Sunday with things scheduled to get underway at 8:54 p.m. In addition to the two Sire Stakes Championships, the $10,000 Kirk Breed Pace for fillies and mares will be spotlighted. After finishing second to Chase The Gold in the first four stakes match-ups for the division, Alilthundadownunda was able to turn the tables in the most recent big-money match-up on March 27 in a lifetime-best 1:52 1/5 mile.

He is owned by Set The Pace LLC and trained and driven by Nick Roland, he returned two weeks ago to take the measure of a solid conditioned cast in another strong mile.

Chase The Gold came into last month’s Sire Stakes riding a nine-race winning streak, including the first three Sire Stakes for this group in impressive fashion. Owned by Qks Racing, trained by Quentin Schneider and driven by James Kennedy, he will be looking for some revenge this weekend.

Meanwhile, Ihopeurhappynow and Worthy Opponent have developed a fierce rivalry among the sophomore males and get one more chance to settle the score in stakes company before the meet ends. Ihopeurhappy has accounted for the last two added-money clashes for owner Mark Anderson, trainer Gordie Graham and driver James Kennedy.

Worthy Opponent prevailed in his first in his first five starts, including a pair of Sire Stakes tallies for his owner/breeders Wayne and Rod Knittel, trainer Bob Johnson and pilot Mooney Svendsen but has been narrowly edged in the last two Sire Stakes by Ihopeurhappynow.