Cal-Expo's feature this Saturday (December 17) will be the Cliff Shurman Memorial Pace, named in honour of the popular owner that passed away last week after a brief illness. The $3,600 pacing event will match Ivegotwhatuneed, Stanza, Hi Ho Hi Ho, Nittany Linebacker, Western Ho and Marlin Hanover.

Among the popular performers campaigned by Shurman was Devilish Donnie, the 2008 Horse of the Year owned in partnership with Rocky Stidham.

“I trained for Cliff for seven years,” Stidham related. “We met here at the track, and Cliff had a way of meeting you.”

In recent years, Stidham related that Shurman was spending more and more time around the barn.

“Cliff was old school, a $2 bettor who really loved the horses. When he came to the barn, he always wanted to help out and be part of the team.”

Announcer Scott Ehrlich said, “Cliff's love for our sport, from the horses that competed, to the horsemen, to anyone who shared his compassion, was very genuine. He appreciated the joy that harness racing gave to him, and gave it back, whether it was by being at the barn every morning, being at the track every night, or being in the winner's circle with one of his horses or a friend’s horse.

“You couldn't help admire Cliff for all that, which is why I always gave him a shout out in the winner's circle, for which he always called to show his appreciation. So long my friend!”

Looking at the feature, Marlin Hanover is gunning for his third trip to the charmed enclosure from his last four outings for owners Richard Morita and David Yamada, trainer Liberio Pacheco and pilot Luke Plano. He set his mark of 1:54 when he took the measure of an optional $10,000 claiming group on November 19, then had traffic troubles at next asking and had to settle for a fourth-place finish.

(With files from Cal-Expo)