Desomer, trotting mares put
on front-end clinic
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
The
trotting mare Silverlode went over the $100,000 plateau recently, while her
pilot Steve Desomer comes into this week’s action with 2,627 trips to the
charmed enclosure for just shy of $11 million in earnings.
The
6-year-old daughter of the British Sterling and the 78-year-old Desomer teamed
up last Sunday for a coast-to-coast jaunt over conditioned foes, with the 1:57
4/5 once-around being three-ticks off the career standard she established last
season.
Less
than an hour later it was Steve and Vickie Desomer posing for pictures once
again with another trotting mare, as Tour Guide pretty much followed
Silverlode’s modus operandi and gamely held off all challenges for a $21 upset.
“Silverlode
is one of Steve’s favorites,” Vickie related when asked about the trotter. “As
far as her earnings, a lot of that is reflected in Sire Stakes money.”
When
it comes to staying involved in the game, Vickie said, “The young trotters are
what keep Steve and I going. Making the racehorse is more important to us than
racing the racehorse.”
As
far as when the meeting concludes in two weeks, Vickie explained that Steve
will get back to one of his other passions. “He's looking forward to wrapping
up the meet, so he can return to his cabin in Klamath River to resume his never
ending quest for gold!”
Good
prospecting, Steve.
********
A
reminder that there are four wagers offered here each night that come with a
reduced 16% takeout rate. They are the Jackpot 6 and Hi-5, which are both
10-cent minimum bets; the 50-cent Pick 5: and the 20-cent Pick 4, which has a
$25,000-guaranteed pool as part of the USTA Strategic Wagering Program.
Sire Stakes bringing out top
trotters, pacers
A
pair of $10,000 California Sire Stakes highlight the Sunday night program at
Cal Expo, with Avila Beach and Speak English heading the pacing contest, while
stablemates Zoeys Delight and Sandy’s Song have top billing in the trotting
affair.
There
will be 10 races on the menu Sunday evening with first post for the Watch and
Wager LLC program scheduled for 5 p.m. The Sire Stakes for the pacing fillies
goes as the third event on the card, while the trotting Sire Stakes will be a
non-betting event prior to the regular program.
Speak
English is looking to make amends after finishing third as the odds-on favorite
in the most recent stakes clash for the pacing distaffers two weeks ago. Frank
Nevarez owns and bred the daughter of Power Of Art with Gordie Graham doing the
conditioning.
The
dark-hued filly was a very impressive winner of her first two starts with Tim
Maier guiding, both resulting in Sire Stakes victories and accomplished in
first-over fashion. She tried similar tactics in the last stakes clash on April
12, but weakened in the lane to finish third that evening as the 1-2 favorite.
It
was Avila Beach who prevailed in that contest for owner/breeders Wayne and Rod
Knittel, trainer Bob Johnson and pilot Mooney Svendsen. She rallied off the
favorite’s cover to get the job done by a length and a half, with the 1:56 3/5
clocking being just a tick off the career standard she established with an
April 3 conditioned score.
Rounding out the field are Pip’s Valentina and Little
Cher Amo, who both hail from the George Reider barn and occupy the inside two
slots; and Smash, who leaves from the outside for trainer Junior Wilkinson.
Trainer
Johnson is holding the aces in the Sire Stakes for the sophomore trotters with
Sandy’s Song, who accounted for the first six big-money clashes for the
division; and Zoeys Delight, who upset her stablemate in the most recent Sire
Stakes two weeks ago. Taking them on are Jk Journey and Sandy’s Song.
