Bruce Clarke has returned for another winter stay in California, bringing along his top trotter I Love New York and a dozen other assorted performers.

“You can say that I’m hoping to rebuild,” said Clarke, an accomplished driver/trainer who has driven over 2,900 winners in his career and recently went over the $12 million mark as a chauffeur.

I Love New York is owned by Clarke along with longtime clients Jack Coffey and Patricia Waldeck. The six-year-old Broadway Hall homebred is nearing $250,000 in earnings while sporting a 1:54.3 career standard that was established at Cal Expo last season.

His most recent victory came in late August over the five-eighths Tioga Downs oval in the state he’s named after and the dark-hued trotter has gone some big miles for Clarke since his introduction to the game.

“I’m out here for the winter and it’s nice to get away from the cold,” Clarke said. “This wasn’t the best of summers for the barn, because we had a lot of bad luck, but I’ve got some young ones here that I’ll be getting ready.”

The one thing missing from his arsenal this year would be some sire stakes performers, which has been a mainstay of the shedrow over the years, but Clarke still figures to make his presence felt during the course of this meeting.

Main event brings out High Bet Hanover

High Bet Hanover, who has fired nothing but bullets so far at the Cal Expo meet in his five appearances, heads the cast for Sunday evening’s featured Open III Pace for fillies and mares.

An 11-race card is on tap under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with a first post of 4:45 p.m. (Pacific). The headliner has been carded as the second race of the evening. A field of six is scheduled to face the starter.

High Bet Hanover has recorded two victories and three seconds from her five starts at the stand for owner Kc C Cavalho, trainer Tim Brown and driver Luke Plano. Overall, she is going for her eighth snapshot on the season from 41 trips to the post.

The six-year-old Bettors Delight mare established a new lifetime mark three starts back when she captured the finale of the Annette Funicello Series on October 18 in 1:53.4. She came back to be the runner-up in a conditioned affair and then returned to her winning ways in her most recent tour.

Sent off the even-money choice in that contest, High Bet Hanover sat a tracking trip for a half, then attacked to the final bend and went on to a two and three-quarter-length score with Plano. This time around, the track’s director of racing, Robin Schadt, has assigned the mare the outside post.

Dont Hurry Love completed the exacta behind High Bet Hanover last week and will be looking to turn the tables. The five-year-old daughter of Dontgetinmyway races for Ed Actkinson, takes her lessons from Bob Johnson, and will be guided by Mooney Svendsen. She boasts $135,000 in earnings and a 1:54.1 career standard.

Completing the cast are Free Girl, who gives the Brown barn two looks at the outcome; the Steve Wiseman-trained duo of Surprisingly Sweet and Razzle Be Dazzled; and Rag Doll, who hails from the Lino Pacheco barn and will start from the inside slot.

(Cal Expo)