A $20,000 California Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old pacing fillies headed by Mare A Raeann and an Open Pace that finds Its Pointless eyeing his fourth straight victory are the featured events on Friday evening’s Cal Expo program

Nine races are on tap under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with things getting underway at 6:45 p.m.

Mare a Raeann is a daughter of Fancy Schmansy who is owned and trained by Jose Castillo and has James Kennedy in the sulky.

She was sent off at 15-1 in the first Sire Stakes of the season for this group, but won like odds-on as she came first-over to the final turn, took command in deep stretch and was a length and a half clear at the wire.

Skooch’s Valentine was the 1-9 choice that evening but had to settle for the place money after following Mare a Raeann to the drive.

She will be gunning for some revenge for owner/breeder Ronald Rettig-Zucchi, trainer Jessie Pacheco and pilot Luke Plano.

Completing the field are DM Magic Player, Miss Street Dancer and Miss Josie Forces.

Saturday night, the $12,500 Rod Knittel DHA Free-for-All for pacing fillies and mares will find Graceful Horizon heading the cast, while The Minnesota Kid has top billing in the Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old pacing males.

Make that nine wins from 10 starts at the meet and a pair of Sire Stakes trophies for the streaking 4-year-old pacing mare Overthemoonforyou.

The daughter of Karpathian Kid came into this session with just a pair of snapshots from her first 24 trips to the post, but has been sensational since arriving in California for owner Qks Racing, trainer Quentin Schneider and pilot Aaron Lehman.

To give you some idea what expectations where back in December, she was sent off at 45-1 on opening night before making short work of the competition and hasn’t let up since.

Last Friday night’s coast-to-coast score earned her a second straight Sire Stakes victory and Lehman took things into his own hands that evening by going right to the front and improving her position.

“She’s been unexpected and awesome,” Lehman declared.

Among the 4-year-old pacing males, it was Alien Art Form who was taking bows after the Sire Stakes for owner/trainer/driver Ryan Grundy.

The son of Outrageous Art flattened out after a first-over trip as the favorite in the first stakes dance of the season, but made amends last week with a strong finish to get the job done over Search And Destroy, who has been runner-up in both these events.

A $20,000 California Sire Stakes headed by The Minnesota Kid and the $12,500 Rod Knittel DHA Free-for-All pace for fillies and mares featuring Graceful Horizon share the spotlight Saturday night at Cal Expo.

Watch and Wager LLC will present 10 races with first post set for 6:35 p.m.

Graceful Horizon is a 7-year-old daughter of Vertical Horizon who carries the banner of Set The Pace Racing LLC and is reined and trained by Nick Roland. She has 40 wins from her 103 starts with a 1:51 2/5 mark set here last year.

Graceful Horizon rattled off four straight victories between January 18 and February 21, including a victory in the Joe Alto Memorial, and is coming off near miss to Crazy Cute in last week’s Distaff Open.

Divine Art was a solid third in that affair in a race she likely needed for owner/driver/trainer Gerry Longo. She is looking for her 28th lifetime snapshot from 104 trips to the post with $419,000 in her bank account.

Looking at the Sire Stakes, The Minnesota Kid is a son of Karpathian Kid who races for Stephanie Ann Longo, is conditioned by Jose Castillo and will have Luke Plano at the helm.

Sent off at even-money in the first Sire Stakes of the season, he went right to the front for Plano and wasn’t asked for his best as he reported to the wire with a length and a half to spare.

Saturday night’s Rod Knittel Pace at Cal Expo is named for the longtime owner/breeder who passed away in 2022 at the age of 85.

Rod, along with his brother Wayne, bred and campaigned some of the top performers of the last five decades as co-owners of KB Farms.

Included in that outstanding group is Allmyx’sliventexas, who is coming off back-to-back victories here for Wayne, trainer Bob Johnson and driver James Kennedy while pushing his career earnings past the $376,000 mark.

“Rod was a big guy with an even bigger heart,” said fellow owner/breeder and good friend David Neumeister. “He had a wry sense of humor and an infectious laugh.

“As big brother to Wayne and Dennis, he was instinctively protective. If you messed with either one of them, you had Rod to deal with.

“For decades KB Farms has been the largest and most successful standardbred operation in California. Every night for as long as I lived in Bakersfield, I could find Rod driving a tractor around the training track at the farm, getting it in shape for training the next morning.

“He lived a good life, caring for his family, the farm and his friends. He is missed by everyone who was fortunate enough to know him.”