David Siegel recently recorded his 500th driving victory while in the sulky at Cal Expo, and he was reflective when speaking afterwards about the victory, his day job, and the state of harness racing in California.
“I turn 60 next year, so I know that 500 will be the only driving milestone I will achieve,” Siegel said.
“I was really hopeful to get it done this meet, and the horse I got it done with was appropriately named ‘Beacon Of Hope.’ While I have achieved one of my life’s objectives, I would like to believe that perhaps a beacon of hope will shine upon the other horsemen at Cal-Expo with regard to their futures.”
By day, Siegel is the president of TrackMaster, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Equibase, which is the Thoroughbred industry’s official source for racing information.
Back in 2001, David took a ride in the starting gate at Pompano Park. That lead to his getting involved on the ownership side and eventually he took part in the USTA’s amateur driving school.
“Since much of my life follows the ‘go big or go home’ philosophy, I really got into the driving and over time, began to drive every racing day working my way up the licensing ladder,” he related. “It was not easy living two hours from the track and being away from my wife every weekend for six months. But I got it done and still thoroughly enjoy the driving.
“My first trainer was Ed Hensley. After he moved, Lou Pena and Ray Burt are the guys that really helped me out about driving and getting mounts. After they left, Gilbert Garcia and Bernie Wolin were my go-to trainers. Are you seeing a pattern here? It seems the guys who help me leave soon afterwards!”
And has Siegel modeled himself after any particular driver over the years?
“There is no one in particular I try to mirror stylistically. I try to do my homework and drive safely and give every horse the best chance I can.
“While I would say I have been pretty well accepted by the drivers, I know I am not viewed by many trainers the same way other drivers are and therefore don’t get the drives I might if I were a full time horsemen.
“This part gets frustrating at times, but I would not trade my life with any of the other drivers. I am so fortunate to have a good job and still get to excel at one of my keen interests. I have the best of both worlds.”
Goudreau, Gordon Eliminations headline card
Two Robert Gordon eliminations and two Shelly Goudreau eliminations will get the marquee treatment on Saturday night’s program at Cal Expo.
There are 11 races on tap with first post set for 6:10 p.m.
The Gordon eliminations have been carded as the third and fifth races, while the Goudreau eliminations have been carded as Race 6 and Race 9.
The top five finishers from each of the eliminations will advance to next week’s respective finals, which are named for two legends in California harness racing.
He Grins Again and West For Gold finished ‘one-two’ last weekend in a solid mile, and will race in separate Gordon eliminations. The former is a three-year-old son of Place To Be who races for George Reider and Dave, Rob and Kimberly Haness; with Reider training and Steve Wiseman guiding. He will be gunning for his third straight win.
Finishing just a neck in his wake last week was West For Gold, who goes about his business for Santiago Quintana. Edwin Quevado does the conditioning and Mooney Svendsen drives. He recorded a 1:53.4 lifetime-best victory at Cal Expo on November 24.
There are two wagers that are offered at Cal Expo each night that come with a reduced 16 per cent takeout rate. They are the 50-cent Pick 5, which is decided on the first five races on the evening; and the 20-cent Pick 4, on the penultimate four races. The Pick 4 comes with a guaranteed gross pool of $30,000.
(With files from Cal Expo)