Kent Fox
Memorial, Series legs head card
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
The
second leg of the Annette Funicello and Bill Conlin Pacing series and the Kent
Fox Memorial Race for Open II trotters headline the Saturday program at the
Watch and Wager LLC meet at Cal Expo.
First
post for the 14-race card is 6:15 p.m.. Racing will be conducted on Saturday
nights in October, expanding to Saturday and Sunday programs in November. Plans
then call for a three-night a week schedule beginning December 26 with Friday
racing added to the mix.
Last
week’s opening legs of the Funicello and Conlin saw driver/trainer Steve
Wiseman capturing both divisions of the former and one of the two divisions of
the Conlin with Wild About Eagle and Razzle Be Dazzed posing following the two
Funicello events and Winsmith Syd in one of the Conlin section.
The
other leg of the Conlin was captured by Mr. Prospector for driver/trainer
Quentin Schneider and all four pacers will be back in action on Saturday’s
card, with just one division of each series being held in preparation for next
week’s finales.
Wild
About Eagle prevailed by a neck over odds-on High Bet Hanover in her division
of the Annette Funicello, while Razzle Be Dazzled romped home by over six
lengths as the heavy favorite in her section.
Like
his stablemates, Winsmith Syd arrived from Running Aces ready to rock and roll
and got the job done in his Bill Conlin division, while Canadian invader Mr
Prospector did the stalk-and-pounce to perfection to win the other section
going away for Schnedier.
The
Kent Fox Memorial is the fourth on the card and is named for the longtime
horseman who passed away last month at ago 70. Heading the cast is last week’s
Open II Trot winner Silence Son and the pace-setting favorite from that affair
I Love New York.
Foxy
to everyone who knew him, Kent Fox was an owner, horseman and mutuel
clerk for over 40 years. Graduating from Carlmont high school in Belmont
California in 1963, Foxy eventually entered the military during the Vietnam
war.Afterwards he found his way to the race track finding work as a mutual clerk, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. But it was his love of the horses that made Foxy unique. Of all his horses, two were his favorite both trotters with My Tryin Ryan and High Dollar.
After a win you could bet Foxy would be driving his golf cart in the barn area the next morning passing out boxes of donuts to his friends. And he always had a treat or three for the barn dogs who were there.
A kind and compassionate man with a great sense of humor, Foxy was always there to help a friend in need or another fellow horseman. But his horses were his family and he treated them like royalty. In the morning you could usually find Foxy at the barn either passing out horse treats or jogging one of his own and always with a smile on his face.
Memorials posted instantly on facebook and text messages sent as the Cal Expo community found out about Foxy’s passing. He was one of the good guys many said or you don’t find people like Foxy anymore. Many agree tho Foxy will be missed and never forgotten.
Silence Son’s local debut speaks volumes
Silence
Son made a very nice impression in his California debut last week, playing the
role of pocket rocket to capture the Open II Trot with Dave Siegel guiding for
trainer George Reider.
Reider
co-owns the 5-year-old with Dave and Rob Haness and Gregg Robinson and he was
making his fourth start and registering his second win since being claimed for
$7,500 at Running Aces in early August.
“I
took 12 horses to Running Aces this summer and one of them was the trotter
Axle, who raced here last spring,” Reider said. “He got claimed about halfway through
the meet and Silence Son was entered the next week for $7,500, so I talked to
Dave and Rob and we decided to take him.
“This
horse was pretty much a basket case when I got him, so I decided to change the
shoeing, took off all the equipment and started from scratch. He’s a totally
different horse now,, though he’s a still a little temperamental when you to
turn him toward the gate and I let Dave know that.”
Siegel was able to work out a perfect two hole trip
behind odds-on I Love New York in his opening-week assignment, then had the
needed response when asked the question in the stretch and went on to a length
and a quarter score.
George
is quick to point out that his assistant trainer Kimberly Hines has done
wonders with Silence Son’s attitude and that is one of the reasons he’s raced
so solidly since joining the barn. “I also think the more Dave sits behind him
the better they will get along,” added Reider. “It’s going to be fun to see
what kind of horse he turns out to be.”
Silence
Son is back in action Saturday night in the Kent Fox Memorial, paying the price
for his recent success by leaving from the outside post in the field of six
with Siegel back at the controls. As his trainer noted, it should be fun.
