from Cal-Expo Raceway

Sacramento, CA — Jersey Bouncer, a little bit of a seven-year-old gelding, actually won an elimination of the Meadowlands Pace four years ago. Many of the steeds against which he races tower over him, but his heart is as big as theirs.

He’s been kicking around Cal-Expo this year and not enjoying it too much. Before Friday (July 9), he had not raced for more than a $7,600 purse. He had three wins in 19 starts when the Gellerman and Green combination claimed him two weeks ago for $30,000. Dr. Lee Gellerman and his wife, Arlene, and Cyril and Lola Green are famous in the west for horses named Gee Gee something or other. Remember Gee Gee Digger? He was a world champion.

Naturally, they turned Jersey Bouncer over to their trainer, Rick Plano, and he put him back in last week for $35,000 and he won his fourth in 1:52⁴ from the outside post.

That gave the owners and trainers as much confidence as it did the horse and they put him in the Preferred Handicap Pace this week to race against what has been the best pacer at Cal-Expo, The Gusty Stable’s Wilder Echo. Race Secretary Fred Kuebler was also impressed with the win last week and gave Jersey Bouncer the four hole and Wilder Echo the 10 post in a five horse feature for a purse of $9,000.

Plano also drives Jersey Bouncer and he ducked him to fourth at the start and kept his eyes turned back, instead of forward, and kept it on the odds-on choice, Wilder Echo.

Rick Kuebler was content to sit last through fractions of :28⁴ and :57 but Plano didn’t flinch. He sat chilly, too.

Then, with a bit less than three-eighths left to pace, Kuebler tipped Wilder Echo out and gave Plano one last chance to go ahead. Finally, he told his horse to go and he went, but then Jersey Bouncer was right there on Kuebler’s hat.

The three-quarters arrived in 1:24² and Wilder Echo went right on by Good Bad Or Best and when they straightened out at the top of the stretch Plano tipped Jersey Bouncer off the cover and attacked.

With an eighth left to race it was obvious that Jersey Bouncer had the most left in the tank and he swept by for a length and a quarter victory in 1:52⁴, an identical time with last week. Wilder Echo was second, and Rocky Stidham kept Good Bad Or Best together to save third.

Presidential Ball is his daddy and his mother is Mattlantic City, she by Matt’s Scooter. He has now banked a buck or two over $263,000 life.

I’m Dam Goog won his seventh in a row in the Invitational Trot, featuring a purse of $8,500. The premier trotter on the track has now earned a bit over $53,500 this year and has banked nearly $435,500 life.

Gregg Pistochini owns this California-bred marvel, Ed Hensley trains him, and Rick Kuebler drove him to victory in 1:57¹.