With Gary Seibel taking a week off for a family obligation, Cal Expo is pleased to have Frank Mirahmadi handling the announcing duties on Friday and Saturday.
Mirahmadi, who began his career at Hollywood Park in 1992, just wrapped up another season as the voice of the prestigious Oaklawn Park meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and will once again be calling the action on the northern California fair circuit this summer.
Mirahmadi is also well known as a TVG racing analyst, for his appearances in several racing movies and his spot-on impressions of personalities both in and out of racing.
“I started going to harness races at Hollywood Park and Los Alamitos in the ‘80s when I was in high school.” he noted. “We had a blast and I still remember many of the horses.
“My favourite was Courageous Red. He was so talented and very consistent. I always bet on him and was frequently rewarded.”
It may surprise some people that Mirahmadi will actually be calling his first harness race Friday evening. “I attempted to call one harness race, at a fair in Michigan from the infield in the voice of Marv Albert back in 1999. This will be my debut as I can't really even consider that an official call.
“It's definitely going to be a challenge. My top priority is to never use the words ‘run’ or ‘running’ in my calls. I’m really looking forward to it and was very happy to get the call from management.”
Sophomore Sire Stakes Get Marquee Treatment
A pair of $10,000 California Sire Stakes featuring Brewski in the pacing event and Placer in the trotting affair headline the Friday night Cal Expo program that gets underway at 6:15 p.m.
Brewski is a homebred daughter of Little Steven and the Tulane mare Wooski who races for Billie Schwartz and trainer Junior Wilkinson with Chip Lackey at the controls. She picked up her first stakes trophy two weeks ago when she made every pole a winning one while equalling her mark with the 1:57.3 clocking.
De Valeria was runner-up in that affair; is another offspring of Little Steven, and is a multiple stakes victress for owner Eugene Afentoulis and driver/trainer Steve Wiseman. Her most recent added-money decision came on February 28 over a ‘sloppy’ track with former trainer Luke Plano in the sulky.
Js Littlerockstar rattled off back-to-back sire stakes tallies in March, but made a break as the 3-5 choice in that last gathering on April 11. James Kennedy owns, trains, drives and bred the bay filly. She will be looking to return to her best form while back with her peers.
Placer is a homebred son of Panama Hanover who carries the banner of Desomer Racing Stables Inc. with Steve Desomer in his usual place in the bike. He has accounted for four of the last six sire stakes for the division, including two weeks ago when he hung a neck decision on Snuff N Bear as the even-money favourite.
The latter is a New Age Hanover colt who is owned and was bred by Mary Harris. He takes his lessons from Kennedy Lindsey and will be guided by James Kennedy. He was a dominating winner of the February 28 get together for this group and has just missed in the last two stakes clashes behind Ahh Panama and Placer.
The racing continues Saturday evening with a sire stakes contest for the three-year-old pacing colts that rematches the most recent trophy earner Laissez Moi Passer with previous stakes victors King Of The Crop and Rikybrnthegaragdwn.
(Cal Expo)