By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
The
Toucam Sam story got even better last week as the veteran pacer captured the Alan
Kirchenbaum Series consolation in impressive fashion for Michael and Patricia
Minnella with Luke Plano doing the honors.
An
11-year-old son of Cam’s Card Shark out of the Western Hanover mare Arizona
Yankee, Toucam Sam has just shy of $600,000 in his bank account and sports a
sparkling 1:49 2/5 mark that was established six years ago.
“We purchased him in August of 2013 after we
found him on the Ongait.com website,” Michael Minnella said. “ We felt if we
could not get him back to the races and compete at a high level, we would
register him as a stallion in California.
“Training
down we were very optimistic. We got down to miles in 2:20 and Toucam was
having major breathing problems. We consulted with Dr. Audrey Clifton and she
suggested we have UC Davis come out and do a dynascope on him while training.
We then gave the video of the dynascope to Dr. Mueller and Dr. Yarborough of
Los Caballos Equine.
“We
consulted with the doctors and let them know that Toucam still wanted to
compete. Dr. Muller felt he could help,
so Dr. Yarborough did the tie back surgery on Toucam in the spring of last
year. We gave him the time off he needed and started him back at Keith Wiley’s
Farm in July.”
Minnella
noted that Emilio Cisneros takes care of Toucam Sam’s day-to-day needs and has
been a vital part of his return to the races, while Luke Plano has been very
helpful with training and equipment adjustments.
“The beginning of this meet has been a dream
come true to my wife and I,” Michael noted. “Toucam gives us all that he has
every race. He leaves nothing in the tank.”
County Jewel
gets top billing in Distaff Pace
An
Open II Distaff Pace headed by Country Jewel and Lady’s Art and an Open II Trot
featuring Hillcrest Romeo and Franks Best headline the Saturday night program
at Cal Expo.
A
13-race card is set with first post at 6:15 p.m. The featured trot is going as
the fifth event on the evening, while the featured pace occupies the
eighth-race slot on the program.
Racing
is now being conducted on Saturdays and Sundays, expanding to three nights a
week at the end of the month with Friday
racing being added to the mix beginning December 26.
Country
Jewel is a 6-year-old daughter of Pacific Missile out of the Towner’s Big Guy
mare Country Fences who races for Brev Creech, David Siegel, Gregg Robinson and
Bob Thronson, is conditioned by George Reider and will be guided by co-owner
Siegel from the outside slot in the field of seven.
The
bay mare comes into this assignment with eight wins and 11 seconds on the year
from 34 trips to the post, sports a 1:53 mark that was established this season
at Running Aces and is looking to add to a $116,000 bank account.
After
facing the boys in her previous starts at the meet, Country Jewel surfaced with
fillies and mares for last week’s assignment and proved a punctual 4-5 choice
with Siegel at the controls. She made what proved to be the winning move past
the half, opening up on her rivals turning for home and coming to the wire with
four and three-quarters lengths to spare in a 1:54 tour of the “good” track.
Taking
her on Saturday, from the rail out: Starry Skys for Gerry Longo; Stable Eyes,
who will be guided by Tim Clevenger; Free Girl, Luke Plano; Internal Check,
Daniel Maier; Love Live Laugh, Tim Maier; and Lady’s Art with Chip Lackey in
the bike.
