Breeze Hill Will takes $15,000 trot at Dover

Dover, DE — Breeze Hill Will, the senior member of a field of eight, posted his first win of 2009 in the $15,000 featured trot at Dover Downs on Thursday.

The veteran trotter, owned by Ricky Pryor and Wendy Crissman, reached his 12th birthday at the start of the year but showed no signs of aging with Corey Callahan driving a 1:57.3 victory. Breeze Hill Will, an altered son of the late stallion King Conch, out of B Cor Willshedo, raced outside on the backstretch then moved three wide at the three-quarters and took over in late stretch on the way to his 53rd career victory, boosting his lifetime earnings to $627,683. Powerful Committee (Tony Morgan) led until deep stretch and finished a strong second. Hay Big Tuna (Jim Morand) was the third-place finisher.

In a $12,000 male pace, Mike Cole rallied Sniper Hall from far back to rush by the leaders in deep stretch for a 1:54 victory. Lauren Allen and Foulk Stables own the Blissfull Hall-Spectre Almahurst ridgling. Rocket Gabriel (Morgan) was runner-up. Ron Burgandy (Callahan) took show money.

Corey Callahan and Tony Morgan dominated driving honors with four wins each.

— Marv Bachrad

Crazy Cathy prevails at Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Filly & Mare Open II Handicap Pacers, racing for a $5,400 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night, in which Crazy Cathy was the pocket-rocket.

Leaving from post three in the field of seven and getting the lead as the field entered the first turn, driver/trainer Bruce Clarke would yield the lead 3-16ths of a mile after the start into a :28.2 opening quarter. Remaining in the garden spot through a half-mile timed in :57.3, Clarke would elect to stay put just before the midway point of the final turn.

“I was just hoping to get out at the top of the lane,” stated Clarke.

Still trapped at the three-quarter marker, timed in 1:26.1 by the pace-setting My Fanny (Rick Plano), Clarke would soon find daylight, but not before a minor scare.

“Right before I pulled, I got a little worried because she saw the whip of Rick Plano and threw her head up in the air and came off the bit on me. That concerned me because she’s a hard mare to get picked back up again. She, however, after a couple of steps, kicked right into gear and went right by My Fanny.”

Out and moving with less than 3-16ths of a mile to go, Crazy Cathy would quickly take over the lead with an eighth of a mile to go and would draw clear at mid-stretch while looking home free, but she wasn’t as Reno Rose (Jim Lackey) would soon be charging.

“I was a little worried late when Reno Rose came flying because once my mare makes the front she kind of waits on horses — as she did tonight. As a result, that was the reason I was worried because Reno Rose was coming quicker than I wanted her to — especially since it takes my mare a few strides to get going again. But, the wire came up and made us a winner.”

Under an all-out drive in deep stretch, Crazy Cathy would just hold on to win ($11.60) by a diminishing nose. Owned by Jack Clarke and Joseph and Lenny Getzler in partnership with Clarke, Crazy Cathy would stop the timer at 1:54.3, a lifetime best. Reno Rose finished on the wrong end of the photo and Don’t Tempt Me (James Kennedy) finished three-quarters of a length farther back in third.

“She raced very good as she does every week,” finished Clarke.

— Scott Ehrlich