California Harness Legends series get underway
By
Mark Ratzky, publicity - Cal Expo Harness
The opening leg of four California Harness Legends
late-closing series events; an Open 2 Trot and an Open 2 Pace share the
spotlight Saturday night at the Watch and Wager LLC meet at Cal Expo.
A 14-race card is on tap with first post set for 5:55 p.m.
There will Saturday racing throughout October, with the schedule shifting to
Friday and Saturday night action starting in November.
All four of the series openers on Saturday are for the
pacing set. The Bill Conlin kicks off in the seventh race; the Annette
Funicello will go as the ninth; the Jim Dennis occupies the 12th
race on the evening and the Mike Corley will be decided as the nightcap. The
second legs will be next week and the finales are set for October 26.
The Open 2 Handicap Trot will find a rematch between the
popular performers Franks Best and Alpine Hawk, who have been giving the
outside posts in the field of six after finishing one-two in the opening week
headliner. Franks Best races for owner/breeder/trainer Bob Johnson and will
once again have Mooney Svendsen at the controls, while Rich Wojcio guides
Alpine Hawk for owner Jim Winske and conditioner Gordie Graham.
The Open 2 Handicap Pace for fillies and mares finds a
solid field of eight doing battle. Twin B Heartland, who hails from the Junior
Wilkinson barn, will set sail from the outside post with the Gene Vallandingham
trained-and-driven That’s Maria one of her main rivals and drawn just to her
inside.
Completing the cast are Wild About Eagle and Scooter Babe
from the Steve Wiseman barn; the Tim Brown-trained pair of Blessingfromabove
and Mousseline Hanover; Lil Miss Nylation for Tim Clevenger and the Rick Cisco
representative Hi Fidelity.
A reminder that next Saturday will find a complete simulcast
of the Breeders Crown from Pocono, with such superstars as Captaintreacherous
and Bee A Magician set to strut their stuff on what promises to be an
outstanding card of trotting and pacing.
Trotting pros put on a
good show
Last Saturday’s opening-night feature saw two of the most
popular trotters in recent memory completing the exacta, with Franks Best and
Mooney Svendsen showing the way home over a fast-closing Alpine Hawk and Rich
Wojcio.
Franks Best is a multiple stakes winner who pushed his
career bank account to $175,00 for his owner/trainer/breeder Bob Johnson. “Frank is
just tough, honest horse who is glad to be home, because he races better in
California than back East,” Johnson noted. “It’s tough in Indiana, where every
field has 10 across with a trailer. He has his problems, but he loves to race.”
At age 6, Franks Best is just a pup compared to the 12-year-old
Alpine Hawk, who carries the banner of Jim Winske and hails from the Gordie
Graham barn. The veteran sidewheeler and Wojcio have became a fixture at this
track and combined to win half of their 22 teamings last season. Another nice
paycheck and he’ll go over the $200,000 earnings plateau with a 1:56 4/5 mark.
“He raced very well and I thought the track was in excellent
condition,” related Wojcio, who found his charge shuffled past the half and
then ignited when given open space to get the second money. “He had a long time off this summer and I think he actually
got a little depressed. He stayed at Kathy Jones farm for three months and I
believe he thought he was retired.
“When we brought him back to the
track at the end of August, you could gradually see a change in his attitude.
When I went to the main track to warm him up for his qualifier, he actually
whinnied as he stepped on the track.
“He is a good honest horse who
likes to race and always gives his best, you cant ask for any more than
that. As I have said many times before, my girlfriend Meredith Ann Higgins is
really the main reason the horse has stayed as good as he is.”
Franks Best and Alpine Hawk get
another chance to settle the score in Saturday evening’s eighth event, with
racing secretary Fred Kuebler assigning the Johnson performer the outside slot
in the field of six, while Alpine Hawk leaves just to his inside. As always, it
should be interesting.
