The $7,500 Joe Lighthill Trot headed by Talkin Tootsie, an Open Pace featuring Firedrake, and a fillies and mares Open Pace highlighted by Capitol Hill share the spotlight at Cal Expo this Friday evening (December 1).
Friday’s Joe Lighthill Memorial Trot is named for the outstanding driver/trainer who was a mainstay in California for decades and passed away in 2006 at the age of 78.
Lighthill, who began his career in the mid 1940s, drove 2,272 winners for purse earnings just shy of $7 million and reined and/or trained some of the most outstanding performers of their generation.
Included in that illustrious group were Meadow Skipper, Countess Adios, Tender Loving Care, Hickory Pride, Peter Lobell, Try Scotch and BC Count.
"Joe was the consummate horseman and a good friend," said Vickie Desomer, who will send out Silverlode in Friday night’s headliner with husband Steve in the sulky.
"Time and time again Steve and I relied on him to get our young green horses safely around the track and he always did just that. He was truly one of the greats, not just in California, but across the nation."
A field of eight will line up for the Joe Lighthill Trot. Talkin Tootsie is likely to attract plenty of attention for owners Martin Gary and Hank Wieseneck, trainer Bob Johnson and pilot Mooney Svendsen. He won an Open II contest two back and was runner-up to the streaking Pridecrest at most recent asking.
A Cenalta Double For Gordon Empey
Trainer Gordon Empey sent out a pair of pacers last Friday night at Cal Expo and ended up scoring with both, as Cenalta Eclipse and Cenalta Artistry each got the job done.
Cenalta Eclipse had Steve Wiseman at the controls. The four-year-old gelding prevailed handily in his conditioned affair, while Cenalta Artistry returned a healthy $26, proving clearly best toward the end of the same program with Rene Goulet guiding the mare.
This is Empey’s second foray to Cal Expo from Canada. He had such a good time last season that he has returned with another string of performers while enjoying the warmer Sacramento climate.
A 71-year-old native of Alberta, Empey only came to harness racing about 16 years ago and has now developed a love of the sport on all fronts.
“I’d been to the races with my uncle when I was in my 20s, but just as a fan,” he explained. “I guess I was about 55 when I was re-introduced to the game by some friends, then that led to buying some broodmares and going on from there.”
At first, Empey continued to do farming while breeding harness horses on the side, but it really got into his blood. “It was eight or nine years ago that we started racing more and more of them, and then two years ago I took out my trainer’s license.”
Its nights like last Friday that make it all worthwhile.
(Cal Expo)