Frankthebank, the epitome of the blue-collar pacer, is set to make start No. 400 when he suits up Sunday night at Cal Expo.
A 13-year-old son of Sportsmaster, Frankthebank is looking to add to a $452,000 bank account while competing for Rick and Marlene Thomas. He takes his lessons from George Reider and Dave Siegel handles the lines. Frankthebank set his 1:51 lifetime mark four years ago.
The fan favourite has had to settle for minor awards in his first three appearances during the Cal Expo meet since having returned from Minnesota, but it hasn’t been for lack of trying (he was parked for his mile in his last assignment after having started from Post 10).
“Frankthebank is about as classy as a veteran pacer can be,” said Siegel. “He can be driven any way you want. In fact, I’m not sure he really needs a driver because he knows what to do and does it well.
“Rick and Marlen adore him and he gets the best of care in the Reider barn. Simply put, he’s not the proverbial Cadillac to drive, he’s a Rolls, or rather a Tesla to put it in 2015 terms.”
This particular Tesla will start from Post 7 in the 10th and final race on Sunday’s program.
Two divisions of the first leg of the Robert Staats Series for pacing fillies and mares and an Open III Pace headed by Lieutenant Steve have the Cal Expo spotlight on Sunday night.
There will be 10 races on tap Sunday with first post set for 5:10 p.m. The Staats divisions will go as the third and fourth on the program, with the Open III Pace set as the seventh event on the evening.
Just a reminder there are two wagers on the program that come with a reduced 16 per cent takeout rate. They are the 50-cent Pick 5, which this season features a 25 per cent minor pool payout; and the 20-cent Pick 4, which comes with a $25,000-guaranteed gross pool.
(With files from Cal Expo)