by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Terence Ransom owns only one horse at the moment, but he’s making the most of it as his pacing mare Looking At You rattled off four straight wins before turning in a solid runner-up finish at most recent asking.

Lester Smith conditions the 7-year-old Looking At You mare while Steve Wiseman is her regular chauffeur. While she saw her streak broken last week when completing the exacta behind even-money OG’s Si Bon, the effort was as strong as any of her previous four scores as she came from well back with a flashy :27.2 final quarter.

“When we first got her, she was lame and she was sour,” Ransom explained. “Lester has done a great job training her, and Steve has done a super job driving. It’s really a team effort.”

Ransom, a 45-year-old Ohio native, knows a thing or two about teams. He played college basketball at Alabama and Mt. Hood, spent seven years as a pro in Portugal, Spain and Australia, then was a high school and college basketball coach for 11 years before retiring.

“I first got exposed to harness racing through my stepfather Holsey Rucker back in Ohio when I was a teenager,” Ransom related. “I really enjoyed it, but he was the one who pushed me to go to college and get an education.

“Through the years I always kept in touch with the sport, including a subscription to Hoof Beats magazine, and when I retired in the summer of 2009 I spent some time with George Teague back East getting back into the trotters and pacers. I could have stayed back there and worked with him, but I wanted to come to California to be near my two children.”

One night Ransom found himself at Cal Expo and began talking to trainer Marco Rios.

“He invited me to spend a day on the backstretch, and that turned into many days and I got some great hands-on experience with Marco. I really owe a lot to him. Lester has been like a second father to me, and you’re going to learn quite a bit just being around Steve Wiseman on a daily basis.”

Ransom is working on getting his ‘P’ driving license and would eventually like to become a trainer. In the meantime, he’s savoring every moment of the success being enjoyed by Looking At You.

“Watching her race, I feel the same thing I did when I used to watch my players out on the court. It’s very satisfying.”

Sire Stakes head Friday marquee at Cal Expo

A pair of $15,000 California Sire Stakes for the 2-year-old fillies head the action at Cal Expo on Friday night (Nov. 18).

Pismo Beach is a 2-year-old homebred daughter of Hi Ho Silverheel’s and the Beach Towel mare BJ’s Beach who carries the banner of Wayne and Rod Knittel with Bob Johnson training and Bruce Clarke handling the lines. She was runner-up in her first two starts, including the Oct. 21 stakes dance at first asking, then prevailed in the most recent big-money gathering two weeks ago.

Taking her on are Drawing Dead with Luke Plano; Little Anna Mae, Tim Maier; Twentyone Guns for Lemoyne Svendsen; Littlest Mermaid with James Kennedy; and Diva Las Vegas.

The trotting event will go as a walkover with Vari Forgetful being the only entrant with Bruce Clarke.