MEMPHIS MOBSTER GUNS FOR SERIES TITLE
By
Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Trainer
Frank Petrelli arrived in October from Florida with the pacer Memphis Mobster
in tow, and it’s proven to be a good move. The 6-year-old is off to a great
start this year, posing for pictures after three of his seven appearances, and
will suit up this weekend for the first leg of the Jim Dennis Series.
The Marissa Tyler
colorbearer lost his best chance two starts back when he ran into traffic
troubles as the 8-5 choice, but there were no such problems last week as Steve
Wiseman worked out a pocket journey with Memphis Mobster and he flew home in
:26 2/5 to be up in the final stride.
“I had been told he
raced real well as a younger horse over the bigger tracks, so it seemed like
the right thing to bring him from Pompano,” Petrelli explained. “He’s a nice
horse to train, he likes it here and has done very well.
“That race two back,
he was locked in and loaded, and then everything worked out perfectly the last
time. He really sprinted home that night.”
Memphis Mobster had
the misfortune to draw the outside slot in Saturday’s nine-horse line-up, but
his conditioner is philosophical about the landing the poor slot. “Better we
get it now than in the final,” Frank responded.
Petrelli, who has 15
trotters and pacers under his care at the moment, is having a solid meet and
Wiseman is his go-to driver. Having said that, he has guided a half-dozen of
his charges into the winner’s circle himself.
“I actually started
out as a driver and never intended to be a trainer,” he explained. “I think
everybody loves to drive a winner, it’s a great feeling, and the next best
thing is training one.”
JIM DENNIS SERIES,
SIRE STAKES ON TAP
The opening leg of
the Jim Dennis Pacing series, with Jovial Joker front and center, and a $10,000
California Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old pacing colts head the marquee at Cal
Expo on Saturday night. A 15-race program is set with The Dennis as the eighth contest, while
the Sire Stakes is a non-betting event.
Jovial Joker should
be a very tough customer in the Dennis for owner Britney Dillon, trainer
Gretchen Smith and driver Luke Plano. The 13-year-old son of Life Sign comes
into this assignment with over $420,000 in his bank account and a sparkling
1:49 2/5 career standard.
The classy veteran
has accounted for three of his six trips to the post, most recently getting the
job done two weeks ago in coast-to-coast fashion for Plano. He holds the
distinct class advantage with this group.
Taking him on are
Mister T-Rex with Bruce Clarke; Herzon, Mike Eaton; Phantom Dan for James
Kennedy; Bookie Farout, Scott Cisco; Yuma with Tim Maier; Red Star Popeye for
Chip Lackey; Serious Art with Richard Schneider; and Memphis Mobster, who
leaves from the outside with Steve Wiseman at the controls.
Bit Player gets top
billing in the stakes. He is a homebred son of Moxie and the Leading Edge mare
Linear who carries the Desomer Stables banner with Vickie Desomer the
conditioner and Steve Wiseman handling the lines. In the most recent stakes
clash two weeks ago, he went right to the top, was able to moderate the
fractions and then had enough left to hold off a charging Lebo Jones by a nose
in a 1:57 2/5 tour.
