When Gene Vallandingham guided Amazon Dot to a win Friday, September 23 at Cal Expo, it was victory No. 2,915 and over $13 million in earnings for the veteran driver/trainer, who turned 71 years young earlier this month
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“Amazon Dot is a nice mare and we were fortunate to get a good trip,” explained Vallandingham, who worked out a pocket journey with the four-year-old daughter of Little Steven. The pair was able to upset the heavily-favoured Matty Rose after that one had opened a clear advantage in the stretch.
Vallandingham’s red, white and blue colours and blond locks have been zooming by in California for some five decades now. Fans of the Cali scene still remember the glory nights at Hollywood Park when Vallandingham was putting on his own '70s show and making multiple trips to the charmed enclosure. On the rare occasion that he didn’t get the job done with a heavy favourite, he took it all in stride and would tip his helmet to the vocal fans.
“It still feels good to win,” Vallandingham noted. “I guess I’m one of the last of the old timers still in California. I’m still hoping our racing here and the quarter-horses can get some help and turn things around. We all need to work as one to make it happen.”
Cal-Expo Adding Thursday Racing On October 20
In an effort to produce the best wagering program possible, Cal-Expo has requested and received approval from the California Horse Racing Board to continue its two-day per-week schedule of racing for the first two weeks of October. The three-day-per-week program which was scheduled to begin on Thursday, October 6 will now begin on Thursday, October 20.
“Currently, we do not have enough available racehorses to adequately fill a three-racing-day-per-week program while continuing to offer the wagering opportunities we offer now,” said Cal-Expo Director of Racing David Elliott. “Our field size average is steadily increasing each week, but we are not quite where we need to be yet for a three-day-per-week schedule.
“A handful of out-of-state trainers have committed to shipping their horses to Cal-Expo and should arrive in mid October. These additional horses will help shore up the field size average providing the great wagering opportunities we offer when we begin the three racing day per week schedule.”
(With files from Cal-Expo)