One of the new faces at Cal Expo belongs to Marc Mosher, a 45-year-old Connecticut native with 1,669 wins under his belt coming into this week’s action.

Mosher was hooked on harness racing at an early age thanks to his grandfather, Merle, who raced the sidewheelers as a hobby during the summer. “I fell in love with it and moved away from milking cows on our dairy farm,” Marc related.

In addition to learning about the game from his grandfather, Marc also had an excellent teacher in his older brother, Gary, who is nine years his senior and has racked up over 5,800 victories in his career.

“I got my first win in 1985 at the Farmington Fairgrounds when I was 16,” Marc recalled. “You never forget the first one, and what made the win extra special was the fact that my granddad was the owner.”

Marc began his career in Maine and eventually took his sulky to New York and the Pennsylvania fair circuit. He mentioned the pacers Sea Storm and Gotcha Lookin when asked for a couple of his favourite four-legged companions. “I won nine in a row with Sea Storm at Monticello, which was pretty special, and I broke the track record for aged stallions at Yonkers with Gotcha Lookin.”

Marc didn’t really have any intentions of coming to California until he was approached by Mike Eaton in Massachusetts. “Mike raced out here last meet, but he couldn’t come again because of his kids being in school. He asked me if I wanted to come out with some horses and it sounded like a good idea.”

Marc arrived with seven performers and is looking to buy some more in the near future. He hopes to get his share of catch drives while staying through the end of the session in May. “My ultimate goal is to get to 2,000 wins before I turn 50,” he added.

Bob Gordon Series, pair of Invitationals set

Two divisions of the first leg of the Bob Gordon Pacing Series; an Invitational Pace headed by Pancetta and a distaff Invitational featuring Show Runner and Haggin Oaks are the main events on Saturday night’s 14-race program at Cal Expo.

Pancetta made a triumphant return to California last week for owners Richard Morita and David Yamada, trainer Lino Pachecho and pilot Luke Plano. Sent off the 2-1 second choice in his first start since November 9 at Yonkers Raceway, he made a bold brush to the lead at the half and went on to a four-length decision in a snappy 1:52.2 final clocking.

The four-year-old son of No Pan Intended and the Life Sign mare Gingerbread Square is now just $7,000 shy of reaching the $200,000 earnings plateau and established his 1:51.1 standard earlier this season over the five-eighths Pocono Downs oval. He has been assigned the testing No. 10 post position.

Starting from the from the first six slots are Its Getting Hairy (to be driven by Tim Maier), One And Only (Chip Lackey), Somethinginthewind (Gene Vallandingham), Steuben Jumpinjack (James Kennedy), Mobil Big John (Tyler Smith) and Emery Vern (Dave Siegel).

The Bob Gordon Series will go as the third and fifth races on the card and the Gene Vallandingham barn is well represented with three performers in the first division and a pair in the second. He will guide After Alimony in the first and Party Cove in the other section.

Looking at the distaff Invite, Show Runner is a daughter of Little Steven and the Tylers Mark mare Peace Runner who comes into this assignment with four straight wins and 18 snapshots overall at Cal Expo from 34 trips to the post. Denise Maier and Eileen Brodbar own with Tim Maier reigning and training.

A 1:52.3 victress this summer at Running Aces, Show Runner is fresh from two sire stakes score, an Invitational victory and a dominating Open performance. Sent off the 1-9 chalk in last week’s stakes gathering, she made every pole a winning one while showing the way home by a length over arch-rival and pocket-sitting Strings. No matter how things shake out early, she’ll be tough right back.

(Cal Expo)