Gorilla Monsoon pins
his rivals
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
After failing to make the
exacta in his first 11 starts this season, Gorilla Monsoon got the job done
last weekend when ending up on the right end of a nose photo.
Owned by Ron Rettig-Zucchi,
trained by Lino Pacheco and handled by veteran Chip Lackey, the 5-year-old son
of Cam’s Card Shark was a 1:52 winner last year at Running Aces.
You could say that at the
wire in last week’s assignment, this pacer got his foes in a submission hold
Wresting fans with a few
years on their driver’s license will no doubt recognize the name Gorilla
Monsoon, as he was one of the most popular participants in the sport for many
years before becoming a commentator and backstage manager during the 1980s and
1990s.
Known to his friends and
family as Robert James Marella, he died on October 6, 1999 at the age of 62 but
lives on through this Pennsylvania-bred pacer who got back to business in his
most recent trip to the post.
***
A reminder that there are two
wagers offered here each night that come with a reduced 16 percent takeout
rate, offering great value for the players.
They are the 50-cent Pick 5,
which is decided on the first five races; and the 20-cent Pick 4, which also
features a $30,000-guaranteed pool on Fridays and a $40,000-guaranteed pool on
Saturdays and is decided on the penultimate four races on the program.
Trot brings out Lodi
Dorian Blues
Lodi Dorian Blues, who has
been knocking heads with Silverlode and Fort Valley AS in his last two starts,
gets some class relief and a cozy rail draw in Saturday night’s featured Trot.
The main event will go as the
fifth event on an 11-race card under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with first
post at 6:15 p.m. There will also be a pair of California Sire Stakes for
4-year-old pacers to be decided as non-betting events prior to the regular
card.
Lodi Dorian Blues is an
8-year-old son of New Age Hanover who races for Scott Ehrlich and George
McChrystal, hails from the Kathleen Plested barn and will have Steve Wiseman
doing the honors.
The hard-knocking performer
recorded his most recent victory on March 3, as he sat a tracking trip to the
stretch and then put in his patented last move to win going away by two and a
quarter lengths that evening.
His last two starts have come
at the Open level, where he finished fourth behind Silverlode two back and then
checked in third behind Fort Valley As last week while competing over a sloppy
track.
In the Sire Stakes for the
pacing males, the very talented Allymx’sliventexas will look add to another
trophy to his mantle. A homebred son of Hi Ho Silverheel’s, he races for Wayne
and Rod Knittel, hails from the Bob Johnson barn and will as usual have Mooney
Svendsen giving directions.
He has dominated his Sire
Stakes rival this season, including a sizzling 1:51 4/5 romp by 11 lengths in
the February 4 big money dance for the division. He cruised home by nearly 10 lengths
in the most recent Sire Stakes, and has since added a conditioned victory and a
runner-up finish behind the red-hot Barbarian in last week’s Open Pace.
