Chip Lackey maintains driving
ambition
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Chip Lackey comes into this
week’s action with 3,524 wins and over $15 million in earnings, and the
64-year-old pilot has been adding nicely to those totals of late.
“It’s been a good year,” Lackey
related. “I had to make a decision after the meet closed here last spring
whether I was going to Minnesota or Chicago, and I decided on Chicago because I
knew a good farm where I could take my horses.”
Lackey explained that for
several years he stayed here during the break in racing to take care of his ill
mother, who passed away in September of 2014. He spent last year’s “summer
vacation” in Pennsylvania and had a very good session at Hawthorne this summer.
“I don’t want this to come
off the wrong way, but I’ve always taken care of myself and have confidence in
my skills,” Chip explained. “I took four horses when I went to Chicago and they
did well. I was very pleasantly surprised with the way the meet went.”
In addition to driving as
much as possible, Lackey has a half-dozen performers under his care here and is
due to have some more ship in shortly from Indiana. “I still love it,” he
added.
****
Now that Thanksgiving is
over, how about feasting on the two reduced 16 percent takeout wagers offered
each night on the trotting and pacing events here at Cal Expo.
The 50-cent Pick 5 is decided
on the first five races of the evening, while the 20-cent Pick 4 will be
conducted on Races 8 through 11 on Saturday’s program. Jump right in, the
pool is fine.
Open Pace brings out
Windsong Jack
Windsong Jack, nailed on the
wire in his most recent appearance at the top rung after carving out all the
fractions, heads the cast for Saturday night’s $5,500 Open Pace.
The feature will go as the
third on a 12-race that is conducted by Watch and Watch LLC and will get
underway at 6:10 p.m.
A 6-year-old son of Santanna
Blue Chip out of the Million Dollar Cam mare Milliondollarsmile, Windsong Jack
is owned by Little Bapa LLC, takes his lessons from Gene Vallandingham and will
once again have Mooney Svendsen in the sulky.
The dark-hued performer comes
into this assignment with $624,000 in his bank account and a sparkling 1:49 2/5
mark that was established two years ago. He was making his first start since
July when he suited up here on November 12 with a pair of solid qualifiers
under his belt.
Sent off the 4-5 favorite
that night, Windsong Jack set all the pace in that affair and was collared on
the wire by Just Bettor, who will not be in the cast this time around. He will
leave from the No. 3 post in the compact cast.
Barbarian was third behind
Just Bettor and Windsong Jack in the most recent Open and looms large for owner
Robert Orr, trainer Sparky Clarke and pilot Tony Succarotte. He was an
impressive winner here opening weekend off a stalking journey and he has the
No. 2 slot this weekend.
The field is completed by
Stable Eyes, who leaves from the cozy rail slot for driver/trainer Tim
Clevenger; American Venture, who calls the George Reider barn his home; and the
James Kennedy reined-and-trained I’m An Athlete, who is back up in class after
a victory last week.
