Franky
Provolone rounding back to best form
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Franky
Provolone is still looking for his first victory of the year, but he’s
certainly knocking on the door after turning in a solid second to the classy
Frank’s Best last weekend.
The
8-year-old trotting son of Armbro Scribe is the pride and joy of Robin
Clements, having made many winner’s circle appearances while carrying her
banner. Franky Provolone’s current bankroll stands at over $155,000 and he set
his lifetime mark of 1:55 4/5 last summer Running Aces.
“It’s
been kind of a drought with Franky since he came back from Minnesota,” Robin
said. “I gave him a month off after Running Aces and kind of pushed him back a
bit too early to have him ready, especially when he had to race against
powerhouses like El Azteca and Its Not Over.”
Clements
feels following those horses home on a constant basis may have had an impact on
his game. “I think mentally it took a toll on him. I’ve been trying to freshen
him up and get back the drive that he always had.
“He’s
actually a timid horse and not the best eater, so I have to feed him like he’s
at a buffet with a little of this and a little of that. He does love apple
time, though, especially when Kathy Plested pops over and they have apple time
together.”
As
mentioned earlier, Franky Provolone is coming off a good runner-up effort to
another 8-year-old Armbro Scribe offspring in Franks Best, who has a lot of class
and $200,000-plus in his bank account.
“I’m
trying to build his confidence back up,” Robin noted. “He’s getting lots of
extra outside pen time and we’ll just go from there.” It shouldn’t be long
before Franky Provolone is getting the cheese again around here.
Mini-Series
final, Jackpot 6 carryover spotlighted
A
Mini-Series finale headed by Im Fasterthanu and Keystone Shaye and a $41,689
Jackpot 6 carryover headline the Friday evening Watch and Wager LLC program at
Cal Expo.
First
post for the 10-race card is 6:40 p.m. and the Jackpot 6 is one of four wagers
on the program that feature a reduced 16% takeout rate.
The
other wagers with the lower takeout rate are the Hi-5, which like the Jackpot 6
is a 10-cent minimum bet; the 50-cent Pick 5; and the 20-cent Pick 4, which
comes with a $20,000-guaranteed pool on Friday and $25,000-guaranteed pool on
Saturday and Sunday.
The
Jackpot 6 wager finds 70% of the net pool paying out to tickets with the most
winners and 30% of the net pool designated for the carryover.
If
there is one unique ticket selecting six winners, the entire net pool and the
carryover is paid to the holder of the ticket. If that should happen Friday
night, they would receive the entire net pool and a cool $41,689 bonus.
Looking
at Friday’s main event, Imfasterthanu and Keystone Shaye figure to get plenty
of tote attention after proving punctual favorites in their respective
divisions last week. Edwin Quevado conditions Imfasterthanu, while Keystone
Shaye hails from the Patricia Minnella barn.
******
This
week will find the trotters and pacers in action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
nights, Feb 20-22.
