Bruce Clarke back for another winter
By Mark
Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Bruce Clarke has returned for another
winter stay in California, bringing along his top trotter I Love New York and a
dozen other assorted performers.
“You can say that I’m hoping to
rebuild,” said Clarke, an accomplished driver/trainer who has driven over 2,900
winners in his career and recently went over the $12 million mark as a chauffeur.
I Love New York is owned by Clarke along
with longtime clients Jack Coffey and Patricia Waldeck and the 6-year-old
Broadway Hall homebred is nearing $250,000 in earnings while sporting a 1:54
3/5 career standard that was established here last season.
His most recent victory came in late
August over the five-eighths Tioga Downs oval in the state he’s named after and
the dark-hued trotter has gone some big miles for Clarke since his introduction
to the game.
“I’m out here for the winter and it’s nice
to get away from the cold,” Bruce related. “This wasn’t the best of summers for
the barn, because we had a lot of bad luck, but I’ve got some young ones here
that I’ll be getting ready.”
The one thing missing from his arsenal
this year would be some Sire Stakes performers, which has been a mainstay of
the shedrow over the years, but Clarke still figures to make his presence felt
during the course of this meeting.
A reminder that there are now four
wagers here that feature a reduced 16% takeout rate. They are the 50-cent Pick
5; the Jackpot 6; the Pick 4 and the Hi-5 on the nitecap.
Main event brings out High Bet
Hanover
High Bet Hanover, who has fired nothing
but bullets at this meet in five appearances, heads the cast for Sunday
evening’s featured Open III Pace for fillies and mares.
An 11-race card is on tap under the
Watch and Wager LLC banner with a first post of 4:45 Pacific. The headliner
will go as the second race on the evening with a field of six set to face the
starter.
High Bet Hanover has recorded two
victories and three seconds from her five starts at the stand for owner Kc C
Cavalho, trainer Tim Brown and driver Luke Plano. Overall, she is going for her
eighth snapshot on the season from 41 trips to the post.
The 6-year-old Bettor’s Delight
established a new lifetime mark three starts back when she captured the finale
of the Annette Funicello Series on October 18 in 1:53 4/5. She came back to be
the runner-up in a conditioned affair and then returned to her winning ways in
her most recent tour.
Sent off the even-money choice in that
contest, High Bet Hanover sat a tracking trip for a half, then attacked to the
final bend and went on to a two and three-quarter length score with Plano. This
time around, Director of Racing Robin Schadt has assigned the mare the outside
post.
Don’t Hurry Love completed the exacta
behind High Bet Hanover last week and will be looking to turn the tables. The
5-year-old daughter of Dontgetinmyway races for Ed Actkinson, takes her lessons
from Bob Johnson and will be guided by Mooney Svendsen. She boasts $135,000 in
earnings and a 1:54 1/5 career standard.
Completing the cast are Free Girl, who
gives the Brown barn two looks at the outcome; the Steve Wiseman-trained duo of
Surprisingly Sweet and Razzle Be Dazzled; and Rag Doll, who hails from the Lino
Pacheco barn and leaves from the inside slot.
