Kirschenbaum Pace, Sire Stakes On Tap

The $10,000 Alan Kirschenbaum Pace and a pair of $7,000 California Sire Stakes for four-year-old pacers are the highlights on Saturday night’s Cal Expo program. Watch and Wager LLC will present 13 races and things get underway at 7:50 p.m.

Saturday night’s Alan Kirschenbaum Pace is named for the longtime owner and breeder and past president of the California Harness Horsemen’s Association who passed away in 2012. Kirschenbaum was a major factor in California as an owner, breeder and amateur driver for many years. With his stallions Little Steven and British Sterling standing at Cherry Tree Farm in Wilton, he helped support the industry in California. For several years, he even waived his stallion fees to help horsemen in the Golden State breed their mares. He was also a huge supporter of the California Sire Stakes and amateur races.

The Kirschenbaum Pace, for pacing fillies and mares, is headlined by Bertha Vanation and River Lassena. Bertha Vanation has been facing the best distaffers on the grounds and should appreciate getting away from some of the big guns, while River Lassena has won five of her last six starts. Bertha Vanation is a six-year-old daughter of Voracious Hanover who is owned by Cathy Dessert and is reined and trained by Nick Roland. She has captured 20 of her 83 starts with $146,000 in her account and a 1:53.2 mark that was set at Cal Expo in January.