Karen Isbell is looking to put herself into the record books at Cal-Expo on Friday night, as she will attempt to add a harness winner’s circle picture to the ones she already has for guiding thoroughbreds, arabians, quarter horses and mules to victory.
Isbell is scheduled to make her pari-mutuel sulky debut behind Artilda in the third race, then guides OK Shark in the fourth and has Cheynes Train in the ninth on the program. Isbell got her 'Q' (qualifying) license earlier this year and has a handful of qualifying and matinee victories to her credit.
The 52-year-old Louisiana native has always had a love of horses, but it wasn’t until a chance crossing with this track when she was 17 that she discovered horse racing.
“I was taking my dog for a walk near Cal-Expo one morning and he literally dragged me to the racetrack,” she related. “When I saw the horses galloping, I knew right then and there I wanted to be a jockey.”
Isbell had her first victory over Cal-Expo in 1979 in a mile and a half affair, and rode on and off for some 25 years. A good deal of those wins came aboard Arabians for trainer Terri Eaton, including some stakes scores.
It was late last year that Karen and her husband Allen Aldrich became harness horse owners, as they partnered with Jason Maier on the pacer Bob Lee, who was recently lost via the claim box.
Isbell was actually planning to drive here on opening weekend, but suffered a training spill and had to put those plans on hold for a month.
“Maybe it was fate,” she related. “I scored my first thoroughbred win on September 3, 1979, and now I’m driving my first harness race on that same date.”
Saturdays in September will feature a reduced 15 per cent takeout rate on the Pick 4 wagers, while the Late Pick 4 will have a $10,000 gross guaranteed pool.
Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Thursday, September 2 and continues through Saturday, September 4. First-race post time on Thursday is at 6:15 p.m. (PDT). Approximate first-race post time on Friday, September 3 and Saturday is 5:45 p.m.
(Cal-Expo)