By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Nobody likes a forced
retirement, but the rules of the game say Frankthebank will be making his final
start in Friday night’s 13th race as the pacer officially turns 15
years old on Sunday.
A son of Sportsmaster out of
the Incredible Finale mare Go Go Coco, Frankthebank has made 443 starts in his
career, with $470,000 in his bank account and a 1:51 mark that was established
five years ago.
Frankthebank is owned by Rick
and Marlene Thomas and will be sent out for the final time in his racing career
by longtime conditioner George Reider. Luke Plano will be in the sulky.
Reider has trained
Frankthebank for 125 of his trips to the post, and that includes 11 wins, 23
seconds and 17 third-place finishes. Bernie Wolin had the most starts with the
pacer, sending him out for 191 starts.
“It’s going to be a sad day
when he leaves for his retirement, like saying goodbye to a good friend and a
good buddy,” Reider said.
“We’ve traveled a lot of
places together and I’m pretty sure he’s going to miss being at the barn.
Hopefully he’ll adjust to his new life quickly.
“Frankthebank is the
definition of an iron horse, especially when you think of all the places he’s
been and all the different barns. As we’re getting close to the end of his
career, it makes me kind of sad.”
Instead of giving
Frankthebank a gold watch, George has something more practical in mind for the
pacer. “On the first day of 2017, he’ll be eating a 25-pound of carrots – just
not all at the same time. I’ll ration them.
“When he heads to his home
just outside of Yosemite Valley, I’ll have the fondest memories of my boy.”
Cal Expo salutes Frankthebank
and wishes him the best in his retirement!
Pair of Carryovers,
Goudreau Prep on tap
A $10,140 carryover in the
Pick 5, a $1,523 carryover in the Pick 6 and the prep for next week’s Shelly
Goudreau Final are among the main attractions on Friday night’s Cal Expo
program.
The card is conducted under
the Watch and Wager LLC banner with first post at 5:55 p.m.
The Pick 5 is a 50-cent bet
encompassing the first five races on the card and comes with a reduced 16
percent takeout rate. The 20-cent Pick 4 also comes with the 16 percent takeout
rate and is decided on the four penultimate races of the evening, while the Pick
6 is a 50-cent wager.
The Goudreau Prep has lured a
full and contentious cast. Eastender figures to be one of the major players in
the line-up for driver/trainer Luke Plano and owners Maryann Plano and Nikki
Hudson.
A 5-year-old son of Cheyenne
Rei, Eastender was runner-up and a close third in his first two starts after
coming in from Hoosier Park, then put it all together at most recent asking
while posting a two and a quarter-length score as the 1-5 favorite.
Total Classic is a Ron
Rettig-Zucchi-owned, James Kennedy reined-and-trained performer who fits well
in the Goudreau. He scored a 14-1 upset here on December 3 and was hard used in
his last start before checking in fourth in a tight finish.
***
There will be no Saturday
racing this week, with a special Sunday program that will have a first post of
4:45 p.m. The trotters and pacers will return to the regular Friday and
Saturday night schedule next week.
