By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
The Bob Johnson stable was
hot last Saturday night, accounting for three of the first six races on the
card with Mooney Svendsen doing the honors, including victories in the Glen
Holt Memorial Pace and the Open Trot.
Johnson, who will turn 75
next month, has now made 2,533 trips to the winner’s circle in his career with
over $12 million in earnings.
While a hat trick is great in
anybody’s book, it doesn’t come close to matching the night winners Bob sent
out at Los Alamitos on February 11, 2000, when he won an amazing eight races.
“I remember the date because
I have a picture at home that was taken with all eight horses,” Johnson
related. “There were some nice ones in that group, including Kaycees Doll, who
won the $250,000 Lloyd Arnold down there.”
Johnson’s triple last
Saturday started out with Talkin Tootsie recorded her third win on the season
from five appearances as she hung a neck decision on 1-5 favorite Pridecrest in
the co-featured Open Trot. Marin Garey and Henry Weiseneck own the mare.
Two races later, it was the
Johnson owned, bred and trained 11-year-old trotter Franks Best who added
another W to his resume, which now includes $270,000 in earnings.
Rounding things out was
Allmyx’sliventexas, who ended up in a dead-heat with Gorgeous For Real in the
Open Pace for owner/breeders and longtime clients Wayne and Rod Knittel.
“I’d been in a bit of a slump
going into that night, so it was extra nice,” Johnson said. “I’ll tell you,
winning never gets old.”
Bob was asked to talk a
little about each of the winners.
“To be honest, I was just
hoping to get a check with Talkin Tootsie, because she had missed a few weeks.
I thought she went a super mile to beat a very nice trotter in Pridecrest.”
Franks Best is one of the
most popular performers on the grounds and was picking up his second snapshot
on the year while using his patented late charge. “No question, he’s my
all-time favorite. He just keeps on going at age 11, and he still has that
desire to win.”
Johnson has always been high
on the Knittel’s Hi Ho Silverheel’s hombred Allmyx’sliventexas, who has a 1:51
4/5 mark that was set last year at Running Aces and is closing in on the
$100,000 earnings plateau.
“That was a solid group and I
wasn’t sure how things were going to shake out early, but Mooney was able to
work out a great trip. I think this horse is really coming up to some big
races.”
Contentious line-up set
for Open Pace
Gorgeous For Real and
Allmyxsliventexas, who dead-heated in last weekend’s Glen Holt Memorial, are
among the major players in Friday night’s $5,500 Open Pace.
First post for the 11-race
card is 6:10 p.m. and there will be a pair of California Sire Stakes decided as
non-betting events prior to the regular card.
The Glen Holt Memorial was
contested over a track labelled “good” and Gorgeous For Real carved out all the
fractions with William Hernandez while Allymxsliventexas sat a tracking trip
with Mooney Svendsen and came first-over at the half. At the wire the pair
could not be separated and shared the victory after a 1:53 4/5 mile.
Gorgeous For Real is a
4-year-old son of He’s Gorgeous who goes about his business for the partnership
of Wilkinson, Schwartz, Axelrod and O’Neill with Junior Wilkinson conditioning.
He was winning for the third time from seven starts on the year and will do his
work from the No. 9 post in the field of 10 this evening.
Allymxsliventexas is owned
and was bred by Wayne and Rod Knittel with Bob Johnson calling the shots. He
sports three snapshots this season from eight appearances with a 1:51 4/5 mark
while closing in on $100,000 in earnings. He departs from the No. 8 slot for
this go-around.
I’m An Athlete has several
wins at the head of the class at this meeting, but will have to deal with the
demanding outside slot in this full field. James Kennedy guides the Ronald
Rettig-Zucchi-owned, Jessie Pacheco-trained son of Art Major.
