Cal Expo: Alan Horowitz Memorial tops weekend action

Trainer Robert Corbin appears to have a strong hand in Friday night's $20,000 Alan Horowitz Memorial, as he sends out two of last week's three elimination winners in E R Vincent and Skyway Raider.

An 11-race program is on tap Friday with a first post of 4:55 p.m.

Looking at the Horowitz, E R Vincent was a handy winner of his heat last week while touring the mile in 1:54 flat with Mooney Svendsen in the sulky, while Skyway Raider went two ticks faster in his tour a bit later in the evening with Phil Knox giving directions.

E R Vincent is a 6-year-old son of He's Gorgeous who races for Corbin Stables Inc and is looking for his second snapshot from his last five trips to the post. The first of those scores came on October 10 at Hoosier Park, then he made his Cal Expo debut a winning in the first elimination for this event last week.

Stablemate Skyway Raider carries the banner of Cavalho Stables and is a 4-year-old son of Arache Hanover who is gunning for his sixth victory of the season from 18 trips to the post. He went coast-to-coast in his first-ever Cal Expo mile with Knox and looms large right back.

Cruisin For You accounted for the other elimination last week for owner Troshu Racing, trainer Ariel Alvarez and pilot Jacob Cutting. The 8-year-old set his 1:53 3/5 mark over this layout last season and has 31 trips to the charmed circle from his 189 lifetime appearances.

Completing the field are, McLegend, Wild Again, Buff's Image, Man Of Mine, Impressive Art, Western Devil and Lukes Cowboy.

Saturday night's Bill Conlin Final shapes up as interesting handicapping puzzle with several questions to be answered.

How good is Its Pointless? Can Cut A Rug work out another pocket journey? Will Sherwood get his revenge after being collared at 2-5 last week?

Its Pointless steamrolled over his opposition in a quartet of Sire Stakes here earlier in the year, then did the stalk and pounce to perfection for James Kennedy while capturing his elimination heat in a sparkling return last week.

Meanwhile, the other elimination saw Sherwood dispatched at 40 cents on the dollar, but he had to be happy with an exacta completion as Cut A Rug was upset minded and left hard into an eventual two-hole trip that resulted in a length score with Luke Plano doing the honors.

Something has to give Saturday night, and starter calls for the pacers.

-edited release (Mark Ratzky for Cal Expo)