Ron
Malette returns to warmer reception
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
After
an absence of some 14 years, Ron Malette has returned to California from his
native Canada and there is no need to ask him if he enjoys the warmer
temperatures.
“It
just got to the point where I couldn’t take the cold and snow anymore,” said
Malette, who will celebrate his 70th birthday next month. “My farm
is for sale up there and I plan to stay here for the meet and then maybe go to
Minnesota for the summer.”
Ron
originally came to California in 1981, first as a harness driver and trainer
and then as a thoroughbred and quarter horse conditioner before returning to
standardbreds, which was his first love.
“The
thing I didn’t like about quarters and thoroughbreds was the fact that I
couldn’t ride in my races, so I came back to the harness,” he explained. “In
2001 I decided to go back to Canada and had Ontario Sire Stakes horses at
tracks like Windsor and London.”
Malette
was exposed to harness racing at an early age as his father raced trotters and
pacers at the Canadian fairs on the weekends, and by 9 Ron was getting hands on
experience that eventually led him to rodeo riding in his early 20’s before
diving full time into the sulky.
“My
first horse was named Captain Kent and he would be one of my favorites, along
with a mare named Marie Lobell who was second in a stakes at the Meadowlands
and set a track record at Fairmount Park.”
Malette,
who earlier this year competed at Batavia, Buffalo and Vernon Downs before
coming to Cal Expo last month, currently has only one horse in the barn, an
8-year-old Camluck pacer answering to Toughest Of All.
“Once
I sell the farm, I plan to get some more,” he related. “In the meantime, I’m
going to be helping some people with shoeing, which I’ve been doing for about
50 years. It’s really important to have the right balance when it comes to the
shoes with these horses.”
El Azteca, Endeavors King head
co-features
An
Open I Handicap Trot headed by El Azteca and an Open II Pace featuring the
streaking Endeavors King share the spotlight on Saturday evening’s program at
Cal Expo.
Racing
is now being conducted on Saturday and Sunday nights under the Wager and Wager
LLC banner and a 12-race card is on tap Saturday with a first post of 6:10 p.m.
There are 10 races on Sunday with first post at 5:10 p.m.
El
Azteca, who has gone several huge miles over this layout for
owner/breeder/trainer Marco Rios, has been assigned the No. 10 post for the
Open Trot, with his half-dozen rivals leaving from the inside six slots.
In
the pacing co-feature, Endeavors King is looking for his third straight victory
at the meeting for A Piece of the Action LLC and trainer Gene Vallandingham
with Chip Lackey handling the lines.
Dave Siegel was at the helm when he prevailed in a
conditioned affair on opening night, then the 5-year-old gelding worked out a
garden trip two weeks ago in the most clash at the head of the class with
Lackey guiding and hung a head decision on Native’s Revenge in a 1:54 1/5 mile.
The
latter is a son of Allamerican Native who carries the banner of Ed Acktinson
with Bob Johnson the conditioner and Mooney Svendsen in the sulky. Native’s
Revenge has been runner-up in the Open in both appearances this stand, losing a
heartbreaker last time after carving out all the fractions.
Cowboy
Cold looms large in this affair for owner Kc C Carvalho and driver/trainer Luke
Plano. The 8-year-old made every pole a winning one in the opening night
feature, then had to settle for third last time as the even-money favorite
after a tough trip from the outside post. Completing the field are Endeavors
King’s stablemate BB’s Harley and Quality Sport.
