By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Your
eyes are not deceiving you, Gerry Longo is back in California and competing
here at Cal Expo.
Once
a fixture at or near the top of the driver standings at this track, Hollywood
Park and Los Alamitos, the 68-year-old driver/trainer has returned to the West
Coast for at least the foreseeable future.
“It’s
been over 30 years since I raced out here,” said Longo, who recently passed the
2,600-win plateau with over $11 million in earnings. ”I’ve come to California
quite a bit to visit my mother, who lives in Garden Grove, and my daughter in
Riverside, but this is the first time I’ve raced here in a long time.
“I
can tell you that the weather is nice, the people are great and I’m impressed
with the way they’ve upgraded the facility since I was here the last time.”
Longo
explained that he made the move to Chicago at a time when it looked like
harness racing was about to go down for the count in California. “I did some
racing back there in 78, 79 and 80, then I bought a place and started racing in
Chicago full time,” he said. “I like to travel, so I’ve also been racing at
tracks in Virginia and Minnesota.”
Gerry
has brought out six performers and is almost treating the visit like a
vacation. “Right now the plan is stay at least under March, but we’ll see how
it goes.”
Open Pace,
Sire Stakes, Joe O’Brien set
An
Open Pace spotlighting One And Only; a trio of $10,000 California Sire Stakes
and the first leg of the Joe O’Brien Pacing Series are the main events on
Saturday night’s 15-race program at Cal Expo.
The
Open Pace is the third race on the evening with One And Only looming large. He
is a 6-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight out of the Western Hanover mare Gallie
Too who carries the banner of Richard Morita and David Yamada with Line Pacheco
the conditioner and Luke Plano handling the lines. He is looking for his third
straight win at the top level.
The
bay performer got a perfect pocket trip with Plano on December 21 and drew off
by five lengths when push came to shove in a lifetime-best 1:52 2/5 mile. Sent
off at 40 cents on the dollar in the most recent top dance two weeks ago, One
And Only took matters into his own hands and went coast-to-coast by a two and a
half lengths to the delight of his many backers.
Set
to challenge One And Only are It’s Getting Hairy for Tim Maier; Phantom Dan
with trainer James Kennedy in the sulky; Doc’s Zippy, Tyler Smith; and Winsmith
Syd, who leaves from the rail with Steve Wiseman.
A Stitch In Time and Show Runner are strictly the ones
to beat, respectively, in the Sire Stakes for the 4-year-old pacers, while the
3-year-old colts get their first chance to race for added-money at the meeting.
