BERTRAND LOOKS FORWARD TO CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal
Expo Harness
Rick Bertrand has a couple of dates circled on his
calendar, including Saturday night with his 3-year-old pacer Winonefordoug and
April 12 and 13, when he will be among the quartet representing the locals in
the popular East-West Challenge.
Winonefordoug is fresh from earning his first career score
last weekend, lighting up the board at $76 in the process for owner Douglas
Flores and driver/trainer Bertrand. Rick is well aware that he’s in pretty deep
Saturday night as he jumps back into Sire Stakes company, but feels the pacer
deserves the chance.
“He’s
a nice little horse with a good bloodline,” Bertrand related. “He has the
potential to be a good one, but sometimes he doesn’t want to put in the effort.
I made some changes last week that seemed to agree with him and he responded
well. I don’t know if he’s a 1:56 pacer yet like those other stakes horses, but
we put him back in with them and we’ll see how it goes.”
As
for the East-West Challenge, this will be the sixth year in which Bertrand has
helped represent the local squad. This time he will be joined by Karen Isbell,
Sue Boyce and the driving force behind this annual event, Dave Siegel.
“I’ve
enjoyed it every time,” Rick said. “In the past, I was able to compete with all
the Eastern drivers when I was a member of the Billings. The Challenge is a
really fun event and everybody wants to win and help their team. David does a
great job putting this together every year and it’s good to see the guys from
back East take time out of their schedules to come out for the event.”
This
year’s Eastern team will consist of Dean Spriggs and Michele Ruvola, who are
making return trips, and a pair of newcomers. They are George Bonomo and Bob
Krivelin, the latter being named 2012 Amateur Driver of the Year.
CONTENTIOUS SIRE STAKES, OPEN PACE SET
A
$10,000 California Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old pacing colts that brings
together a well-matched field and a $6,000 Open Pace that finds One And Only
seeking an encore hold the spotlight at Cal Expo on Saturday night.
Hi
Ho Disguise is looking for his third straight trophy in the Sire Stakes for the
pacing males. A 3-year-old homebred son of Hi Ho Silverheel’s from the Jenna’s
Beach Boy mare Jenna’s Disguise, he carries the banner of James Mascola, Dan
Tullio and Matias Ruiz with Ruiz training and Luke Plano in the sulky.
In
the March 2 clash, he sat a pocket trip, ignited when the question was asked
and was up by a neck over Bit Player. In the most recent get-together for this
group two weeks ago, Hi Ho Disguise did his work in game, first-over fashion
and prevailed by three-quarters of a length in a lifetime-best 1:56 clocking.
Bit
Player was posing for snapshots following the first Sire Stakes of the season
on March 16 and has been second and fourth in the last pair. The Desomer
Stables homebred is conditioned by Vickie Desomer with Steve Wiseman at the
helm and sports a 1:56 3/5 standard.
Taking
on this pair are Bit Player’s barnmate Daring Do with Steve Desomer at the
controls; Me Tarzan, to be handled by Tim Maier; Lebo Jones with Scott Cisco;
Winonefordoug for Rick Bertrand; and Kablooie, to be guided by Bruce Clarke.
In
the Open Pace, One And Only will be looking for a repeat score after posting a
$46 upset in last week’s dance at the head of the class with James Kenned in
the sulky. It was the third win on the year in eight appearances for the
hard-hitting performer.
