By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
After
mixing it up with the likes of El Azteca and Inside Broadway in his previous
two outings, Franky Provolone got some class relief last weekend and responded
with a solid victory for owner Robin Clements, trainer Vickie Desomer and pilot
James Kennedy.
The
7-year-old trotter has carried the Clements banner for the last two years and
the victory put him over the $115,000 earnings mark. After getting shuffled at
the midway point in that mile, he got clear sailing when it counted and motored
home in :28 and change to seal the deal.
“When
he came back from Minnesota last summer, he was pretty tired and not 100
percent,” Robin noted. “I raced him one time at the opening of this meet and he
was no good, so I turned him out.”
In
the past, Clements would have given Franky Provolone some time at the Desomer
ranch, but that was no longer an option and her fields were filled up with broodmares.
“Jennifer
Sperry is a good friend of mine and she ended up taking him to her farm
down in Patterson for a well deserved break. Franky became part of the Sperry
family, hanging with retirees Pussy Cat and her Claudius Augustus filly Sassy
Catitude along with 30 yr old Steroid Stallion.
“He
was turned out for two months and put on about 150 lbs. Jennifer and her
husband Steve did a great job as Franky is a horrible eater and hard to get
that weight on. Jennifer was patient and found out Franky is a buffet kind of
guy and doesn't like to eat the same thing everyday.
“
When he came back we stuck to the same plan on his feeding and switched him up
a lot. I raced him in the Open Trot, but he wanted no part of El Azteca, and
then I was finally able get him in a class where he belongs. James Kennedy did
a great job with him the other night and I was very happy how things worked
out.”
Sire Stakes, Open Trot, Distaff Pace
headline card
A
pair of $10,000 California Sire Stakes for 3-year-olds featuring De Valeria and
Snuff N Beer, an Open Trot headed by El Azteca and an Open Distaff Pace hold
the spotlight Friday night at Cal Expo.
El
Azteca, who recently over the $100,000 mark in earnings, eyes his sixth
straight win while once again doing his work from the assigned No. 10 post. The
5-year-old son of Panama Hanover is owned, trained and was bred by Marco Rios
and will have Luke Plano in the sulky.
De
Valeria is a daughter of Little Steven and the Fandango Fella mare Princess
Kiara who has captured three of the four stakes races for the sophomore pacing
fillies at this meeting. She is owned by Eugene Afentoulis and is reined and
trained by Luke Plano.
The
dark-hued miss used track-and-attack tactics to draw away through the stretch
in the first two Sire Stakes clashes, then had to settle for third as the 3-5
choice in the February 14 gathering. She got her revenge in the most recent
big-money joust two weeks ago, having no trouble with the sloppy track as she
rallied smartly to the lane and pulled away by two and a half lengths.
Duet accounted for the other stakes and goes postward
for owner/trainer Rick Cisco and pilot Tim Maier, while Clara Bea carved out
all the pace in that last Sire Stakes before checking in second and carries the
banner of Schwartz, Axelrod, Rachford and trainer Junior Wilkinson with James
Lackey guiding.
Looking
at the trotting event, Snuff N Beer and Placer have each earned two stakes
trophies to this point while establishing themselves as the leaders of the
division. Snuff N Beer is a Mary Harris homebred from the Kennedy Lindsey barn
with Luke Plano in the bike, while Placer is a Desomer Stables homebred with
Steve Desomer handling the lines.
In
the most recent get-together on February 28, Snuff N Beer appeared to relish
the off going as he dueled to the stretch and then came away late for a two and
three-quarter lengths score. He also posed for pictures following the first
stakes of the year on January 17 with a strong finish.
