The driver nicknamed "Trottin' Trevor" across the continent will make his 2010 driving debut at The Isle Casino And Racing at Pompano Park on the Saturday evening, January 23 program
. He's been hired to drive Tom Cango in the third race $13,000 purse Open Trot.
"I don't know much about the horse except that he raced against the best in his division including Muscle Hill last year as a three-year-old," Ritchie said. "It'll be good to get back to work and I'm really glad to be named to drive on the horse."
Ritchie, now 53, resides in the winter at his Florida home just north of Pompano Beach. From approximately April through November each year he's based in Ontario at the Woodbine and Mohawk circuit. In 2009 he surpassed a career milestone of $65 million in purse earnings from almost 3,600 lifetime winning drives. His long list of victories in rich and prestigious events includes The Hambletonian, The Maple Leaf Trot, and The Canadian Trotting Classic and the other gait's top events including The North America Cup.
"This driver change to Trevor from Matt Kakaley is something Matt is completely okay with and understands," explains trainer Bill Gallagher. "Matt came off the bike really apologetic last week for the break Tom Cango made. He said he scored out super and felt really ready to go. Matt is already a star in this game and I certainly won't hesitate to use him again in the future. In this situation I just felt that anytime I could get 'Trottin' Trevor' I should go with him. As for Tom Cango at age four, he's a career winner of $448,000 [U.S.] and any start now I feel his class will show and he'll put it all together," Gallagher added.
Earnings Milestone For Bruce Ranger
The winningest driver in the 46 year history of Pompano Park, Bruce Ranger, has passed a career milestone of $30 million (U.S.) in purse earnings.
He was up to his winning ways again on the Friday evening, January 22 program as her guided four-year-old mare Eve to a life's mark of 1:55.3. Eve, by Bettors Delight-Kristina, is trained by Peter Blood for owner Roger Slobody of West Brookfield, MA. In the $4,500 purse conditioned test Stylish Soiree N with Matt Kakaley and Cherry Bomb in rein to David Ingraham followed next under the wire.
The 50-year-old reinsman hailing from Portland, Maine has topped 300 winning drives in each of the past 13 seasons. 2009 also marked the 12th consecutive year that Ranger has surpassed $1 million in driving purses. At the start of the 2009-2010 meet in South Florida, Ranger set a modern day record by racking up 13 wins on a single 20-race program, which was staged by the Florida Breeders.
Jody Jamieson Stops By
Top Canadian driver Jody Jamieson attended the program at the Isle Casino and Racing Pompano Park on Friday evening, January 22, and gave some of his time for live trackside TV interview.
"This is the first time I've been to Pompano in close to eight years," Jamieson said. "To have so many people recognize me and come up to me here was really gratifying and humbling while I was just sitting at a trackside picnic table," he added.
"It was always in the plan to take a month off after chasing the Canadian wins record in 2009. The vacation in the Dominican Republic and with my parents at their winter place in Florida has been just great. I came out of the year with a few aches and pains and I now know exactly what Tim Tetrick and Mark MacDonald went through mentally as well when they were chasing driving records. If all goes according to plan I'll resume driving February 1 at Woodbine."
Jamieson, 33, set a single year Canadian record of 787 wins in 2009. All told last year, he amassed 796 winning drives and surpassed $10 million in purses for the third time in his career.
(With files from Pompano Park)