Streaking Hoboken Hanover heads feature;
Woodbine Jackpot Hi-5 847K carryover
By Mark
Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
An Open II Pace headed by the red-hot
Hoboken Hanover and a simulcast of the Woodbine Jackpot Hi-5 with an $847,458
carryover and a mandatory payout are among the main attractions on Saturday’s
Watch and Wager LLC program at Cal Expo.
First post for the 12-race program is
6:10 p.m. The headliner goes as the sixth event on the card while post time for
the 11th race at Woodbine is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. Pacific Time. The Jackpot
Hi-5 at Woodbine is a 20-cent minimum wager with a low 15% takeout rate.
Looking at the Cal Expo feature, Hoboken
Hanover comes into the contest riding a four-race winning streak while steadily
climbing the class ladder. He is owned and trained by Denise Maier with husband
Tim once again in the sulky.
The 8-year-old son of Cam’s Card Shark
started his recent skein with a March 8 victory while racing with a $5,000 tag,
then came back to take his next pair in optional $6,000 claiming events,
including a lifetime best 1:52 1/5 mile on March 22.
Hoboken Hanover moved up to the Open I
for last week’s assignment and did the stalk-and-pounce to perfection for
Maier, as he won going away by a length and three-quarters over odds-on choice
St Lads Lotto that evening.
Rounding out the field are Jazzmanian
Devil, Bettormeboy, King Of The Crop, Laissez Moi Passer, Mar Dream, Real
Attitude and Cosmos.
Next week, the racing schedule will find
a return to Saturday and Sunday night programs.
Horowitz, Vallandingham Brothers
Inducted into CHHA Hall of Fame
By
Robin Clements
Congratulations to Alan Horowitz,
Gene Vallandingham and Bill Vallandingham, who were officially inducted into
the California Harness Horsemen’s Association Hall of Fame last week.
Horowitz, who has worn many hats in
the business, started out as a partner with longtime friends Donald and
Barbara Arnstine and Steve Desomer with
a $25,000 claimer named Quaker Byrd. Quaker Byrd won his first race for the
partners and Alan was hooked. Moving on,
Alan would eventually become a board member and president of CHHA.
In 1994, Horowitz was instrumental in
bringing in Steve Berry to purchase Capital Racing from the horsemen and turned
racing around in California. As General Manager, he ran a very successful meet
until changing hats to become the Executive secretary for CHHA until his
retirement in 2013.
“This is quite an honor,” said
Horowitz. “Even though I’ve been out of the industry for about three years, I
still look back over my shoulder and keep track of what is going on.
“I especially want to thank Fred
Kuebler for his very kind words at the induction ceremony.”
Also inducted into the Hall of Fame
were brothers Gene and Bill Vallandingham. Gene Vallandingham, who has won
2,900 races as a driver with nearly $13.5 million in earnings, grew up in the
business in Kentucky, eventually moving to Illinois where he took driving
titles at Washington Park and Aurora Downs.
In 1971, he made the move to
California where he established himself as a top driver/ trainer. Known for his
long blond locks, Gene was then nicknamed “Golden Rod” or “Go Rod”. With his
red white and blue colors and famous white boots, he went on to become a fan favorite
.
Bill Vallandingham was also a
dedicated horseman to the California circuit in his own right. Wearing many
hats as a groom, paddock judge, horse identifier, horse tattooer and eventual
starting gate judge. Bill was and still is the horseman’s friend and big
supporter of California racing. While you may have seen him on the golf course
or playing softball of a horseman’s team, his license plate said it all, Billy
V 4 u.
If horsemen needed to school their horses
Billy would on his own time make sure he had the gate out there so the young
horses could get gate time or if a farm needed their foals tattooed, Bill was
there when you needed him.
Divisional 3-year-old winners were
also announced along with the 2014 horse of the year.
Placer 3, t 2:00.1m, $30,552 took top
male trotter, owned by Desomer Stables
Ahh Panama 3, t 2:01.2m $28,569 was
awarded the top filly trotter, owned by Henry Wieseneck, Martin Garey and Bob
Johnson.
J’s Littlerockstar 3,p 1:55.2m
$28,569 took top filly pacer honors owned by James Kennedy.
King of the Crop 3,p 1:54.3m $40,470
was awarded the top male pacer owned by Frank Nevarez.
El Azteca owned by Marco Rios was
voted 2014 horse of the year.
James Kennedy picked up his first
award for being the top driver/trainer in the Sire Stakes.
Top stallion awards were also given
to the trotter and pacing stallions for their offspring’s performance in the
Sires Stakes.
Panama Hanover, owned by Debra
Budahn, took the trotting stallion award and Little Steven, owned by Shari
Burns, took top pacing stallion honors.
The CHHA members also voted for three
directors to the board with David Neumeister and Steve Wiseman retaining their
seats and David Siegel now joining the board replacing Renee Mancino.
