By Mark Ratzky, publicity - Cal Expo Harness
When Terror Time crossed the
wire first in last Saturday night’s opener, it was another snapshot for the
Robin Clements colorbearer and also marked a milestone for pilot Steve Wiseman
as he reached the 2,000-win plateau.
“Any time you win is great,
but it was especially nice because it was Steve’s 2,000th,” Clements
related after all the picture taking had been completed.
A good-looking 6-year-old son
of Western Terror with 145 starts on his resume and $145,000 in his bank
account, Terror Time is one of those blue-collar workers who knows his job and
comes to play week-in and week-out. “He’s a stunning horse to look at and has a
personality you’ve got to love,” Robin noted. “He has his issues, though, one
being that he sees ghosts!
“When you train or jog him,
you need to stay on your toes because you just never know when he’s going to
jump sideways. He wears a fly mask to help drown out the track monsters and
shadows on the track.”
Clements claimed Terror Time
for $4,000 here last November, and didn’t do particularly well with the
performer before he was taken back by his original connections. “I was searching
for another horse to claim and looked at about 15, but I kept coming back to
him because I had this feeling I was missing the boat.
“I made a few changes when I
got him the second time and he started doing well. I sent him to Minnesota this
summer with Tim and Denise (Maier) as they had a spot for him and he had a good
meet there. He came back in great shape, I gave him a few weeks off for some
pasture rest and he’s been strong. He’s all heart and I wish I had four more
like him.”
Terror Time will seek victory
No. 21 when he suits up in Saturday night’s 11th race from the
outside slot, with Wiseman giving directions as he starts his long march to the
joining the 3,000 club
CALIFORNIA HARNESS
LEGENDS SERIES CONTINUE; BREEDERS CROWN SIMULCAST ON TAP
The second leg of the Bill
Conlin, Annette Funicello, Jim Dennis and Mike Corley Pacing series and a
simulcast of the complete Breeders Crown card from Pocono Downs head the bill
at the Watch and Wager LLC Meet at Cal Expo on Saturday.
The Breeders Crown simulcast
set to begin at 2 p.m. Pacific Time, with such trotting superstars as
Captaintreacherous and Bee A Magician in action at Pocono in what promises to
be an outstanding card with championships on the line. First post for the live
racing here at Cal Expo is 5:55 p.m.
Looking at the second legs of
the local series with the finales set for next week, Live A Little and Serious
Art have established themselves as the big guns in the Bill Conlin after
finishing one-two as the favorites last weekend. Live A Little made every pole
a winning one from the No. 9 post for Mooney Svendsen, while Serious Art had a
long, first-over trip from the second tier with Luke Plano and was a solid
runner-up.
The Jim Dennis is shaping up
as another contest dominated by two performers as Emmasphere and Lust combined
for a popular exact in the opening salvo. The former opened a daylight
advantage turning for home, but needed the wire to come up just in time while
holding safe over a long-fused Lust as that pair paced to their public support.
Windy City Paige was well
prepared by owner/trainer Richard Dunneback and captured the first leg of the
Annette Funicello while making her first evening appearance since March. James
Kennedy gunned the 8-year-old Cole Muffler mare into the stretch to open up
five lengths, then just survived over another returnee in Poorlittlerichgirl as
that one flew home when she got the chance to pace in the lane.
The start of the Mike Corley
series proved easy pickings for I O One, who was up close and personal
throughout as the 6-5 chalk for Luke Plano and bid adios at the head of the
stretch to post a three and a half-length decision. Fork In The Road put in a
solid first-over try with James Kennedy and is certainly going to have a say in
this event over the next two weeks.
The second contest on the
14-race program is a $4,500 Open 2 Handicap for the pacing fillies and mares.
Wild About Eagle, a 13-1 upsetter last week at this level for Steve Wiseman,
has been assigned the outside post in the field of seven by Racing Secretary
Fred Kuebler.
