By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
The long and winding road that led the now 11-year-old pacer
Lumberjack Willie to Cal Expo is explained by his current owner Scott Ehrlich.
“In the early fall of 2013, I was wagering on Hoosier Park and
Lumberjack Willie caught my eye. I bet him back-to-back weeks in which he made
huge closes from no chance spots to hit the board, and then the next week,
which was closing week, he was scratched.
“I wasn’t going to let him win somewhere without my money on him,
so I put him in my TrackMaster Virtual Stable. He shows up a week
later at Yonkers, drawing the pole. Brent Holland, my friend, was down to
drive. I couldn’t call him fast enough to tell him I had a ‘hot’ one for him.
He wired the field at $8.90 and I now I’m following his career like he was
mine.”
Ehrlich was so crazy about Lumberjack Willie that he actually bet
on him against Sweet Lou at Yonkers in 2014, the same year Sweet Lou won 10 in
a row and was named Pacer of the Year. Lumberjack Willie finished third behind
the champion and went on to win an Open Handicap over that New York half-mile
track in 1:52 4/5.
After racing in June of 2014, the pacer disappeared from Scott’s
virtual stable until a qualifier 13 months later
in 2015 at Harrah’s Chester, where he finished second. Oddly, he
didn’t turn up again until a qualifier at Freehold in March of 2016, then was
off again until a May 6 qualifier at Yonkers
“He broke at the start at Yonkers and was pulled
up with Brent, who told me he thought he was done. Turns out he
broke a coffin bone in one of his feet. Then after the recovery, he
broke the coffin bone in the other foot. That was that – or so I thought.
“To my amazement, he shows up in my virtual
stable for a March 2 qualifier at Freehold in 2017, with his longtime East
coast trainer, Jack Franklin, driving him. He qualified and for the
next several starts, was okay, with the seldom driving
Franklin. When Jimmy Marohn Jr. drove him on April 8, he won.”
Lumberjack Willie did his vanishing act once
again follow that, eventually resurfacing in a June 8 qualifier at Hawthorne.
He won that contest with Matt Avenatti.
“Wouldn’t you know it that I’m friends with his
dad, David,” Ehrlich continued. “I excitingly called David to let him know how
I feel about this horse. He informed me they bought him at the Delaware,
Ohio May sale for $2,600.
“He promised me if his son and his fiancé,
Amanda Mills, ever wanted to move him, that I’d be the first they’d
call. He did nicely at Hawthorne in the $4,000 to $8,000
claimers, then went to The Red Mile where he won in 1:52 1/5, then was second
and then finished last.
“About a month later, David called me wanting
to know if I’d be interested in purchasing him, but was very forthright in
telling me that he did not come out of that last race too
sporty. But, under the loving care of his son and Amanda, was coming
along nicely. With David’s guidance, we quickly agreed to a price, and it
was off to California. “
Since arriving at Cal Expo, Lumberjack Willie
has made a pair of visits to the winner’s circle, including a 1:52 3/5 score in
February.
“He’s been getting great care from Kathie and
Steve Wiseman, and the extremely diligent work of his marvelous caretaker, Jodi
Svendsen,” Scott noted.
For Scott Ehrlich and Lumberjack Willie, this
story has truly come full circle.
Sophomore fillies do
battle in Sire Stakes
A $6,500 California Sire
Stakes for the 3-year-old pacing distaffers featuring Goturnumber and Brigitte
Bourdeaux heads the Saturday night action at Cal Expo.
A 12-race card is on tap
under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with the first race set for 6:10 p.m.
Goturnumber is coming off a
dominating victory in last week’s clash for the 3-year-old pacing fillies, as
she made every pole a winning one with James Kennedy and reported to the wire
with nine and three-quarter lengths to spare in a sparkling 1:57 1/5
performance.
The dark-hued daughter of
Kent’s On Nuke is out of the Ira mare Kb’s Midnight, is owned and was bred by
Mark Anderson and Debra McCarthy and hails from the Gordie Graham barn.
The first Sire Stakes for
this group was contested two weeks ago and it was Brigitte Bordeaux who was
taking bows in a mile that saw Goturnumber making two breaks and being
eliminated.
In her score, Brigitte
Bordeaux sat a pocket trip early for driver Mooney Svendsen, attacked the
leader turning for home and proved best in the drive with a two and a
half-length margin at the wire in a 1:59 tour.
The Hi Ho Silverheel’s
hombred competes for Wayne and Rod Knittel with Bob Johnson training. Rounding
out the cast are Glad to Meet Ya with Luke Plano; Lucky Seven Oflodi, Tony
Succarotte; and Rhythm, who will have the services of William Hernandez.
