By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Dreaming Of Amy, who has captured six of her last eight appearances, gets the top billing in Thursday night’s opening leg of the Richard Staley Trotting Series at Cal Expo. The race carries a $3,500 purse and will go as the eighth event on an 11-race program.
A 6-year-old
Illinois-bred daughter of Banderas Hall, Dreaming Of Amy was claimed from her
last start by Kc C Carvalho and is now trained by Tim Brown with Luke Plano in
his usual spot in the sulky.
The bay mare began
her streak with wins on December 7 and 15, had to settle for the exacta
completion at next asking and then rattled off back-to-back scores to close out
the year and start the new one. She found herself in the rare position of the
front end on December 12 and was overpowered by Bobby Baccala, but has avenged
that defeat in her last two trips to the post with impressive wins from off the
pace.
Twice The Ruckus is
a very nice fit in this field and figures to get respect at the windows. The
9-year-old son of Ilooklikemymom is owned by Denise Maier, takes his lessons
from Tim Maier and will be guided by James Kennedy. He has $115,000 in the bank
and should be in a good early position.
The aforementioned
Bobby Baccala is the only trotter to have finished in front of Dreaming Of Amy
in her last two starts and will be among her rivals in the Staley cast. The New
Age Hanover gelding is conditioned by George Reider, who also co-owns with Dave
and Rob Haness, and Chip Lackey has the assignment.
Completing the field
are Chiselled, from the Frank Petrelli barn with Mooney Svendsen handling the
lines; the Bob Johnson-trained Loose Cannon with Steve Wiseman at the helm; and
the Bernie Wolin-conditioned Earls Dreamofglory from the outside slot with Dave
Siegel guiding.
There is a
trio of wagers offered here each night with a reduced 16 percent takeout rate.
They are the 50-cent Pick 5 that begins on the third race; the $1 Pick 4 that
comes with a $15,000-guaranteed pool on Thursday, a $20,000 guarantee on Friday
and a $25,000 guarantee on Saturday; and the 10-cent High 5 that is conducted
on the final race.
OWNER/BREEDER
RICHARD STALEY REMEMBERED
Thursday night’s
Richard Staley Trotting series honors one of the top owner/breeders in the
sport, who passed away 16 years ago at his home in La Jolla at the age of 66.
Staley became
involved with the trotters and pacers after attending a seminar at Hollywood
Park in 1970. Pres Jenuine recommended
Doug Ackerman as a trainer and this proved to be a very successful relationship
for the next 25 years.
Richard Staley owned
many outstanding performers, including Crowning Point ($343,662.), Armbro Cadet
($693,392.), Albaquel ($498,222.), and Denali ($485,795.), Noble Hustle
($399,620.), Self Confident ($371,416.), Ever So Rich ($573,756.) and his
favorite, Bramble Hall ($215,809.).
Staley also maintained a select broodmare band.
The year he passed
away, his 30 starters won 69 races and $669,803, ranking him 17th on the 1996
list of leading money-winning owners. He was an enthusiastic patron of the
Grand Circuit and attended many major yearling sales.
Richard Staley
provided support for harness racing in many other ways, never seeking credit for
his actions. One instance was his help in funding harness meets at several
California tracks, including one at the Del Mar track, close to his home in La
Jolla and where his horses trained.
In addition to the
Richard Staley Series getting underway, the opening legs of the Michael Corley
Series and the Bill Conlin Series will be decided this weekend. The Corley is
named for the respected and longtime steward, while the Conlin honors the
former sports editor of the Sacramento Bee and Sacramento Union. More on these
important players in California harness history in Friday’s program.
Cal Expo Schedule Change: The CHRB has given Cal Expo permission to drop Thursday nights from their schedule after the January 31 card. In addition to dropping Thursdays, Cal Expo is adding racing on the weekends of May 17 and May 25.
Cal Expo Schedule Change: The CHRB has given Cal Expo permission to drop Thursday nights from their schedule after the January 31 card. In addition to dropping Thursdays, Cal Expo is adding racing on the weekends of May 17 and May 25.
