by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal Expo Harness

Sacramento, CA — Owner/trainer Bette Jean Calice admits that the 10-year-old trotter Sharpshootennorris is as much a pet as a member of her stable, which raises the question of how many pets can you buy for $8,000 and three years later they’ve put more than $85,000 in the bank?

That’s the scenario with Sharpshootennorris, who looks to add to his $422,000 in overall earnings when he suits up in Friday night’s headliner for Calice and regular pilot Steve Wiseman.

“He originally raced for my niece and was an Open trotter back then,” Calice said. “He lost a step and ended up in claimers and was taken by someone for $8,000. He raced for them for awhile, and then when they dropped him back in for $8,000, I claimed him.”

Sharpshootennorris banked $40,000 that first year for Calice and turned in a 1:55.3 mile at Pompano, adding another $45,000 to that total over the last two seasons. He currently makes up the entire barn for Calice, who considers herself to be semi-retired at this point.

“He’s very special,” she noted. “He hears me coming even before I get around the side of the barn. When we’re jogging, he can still act a little like a baby and jump up and down when something unusual happens, but when it comes time to race he’s all business out there.”

The trotter dead-heated for a conditioned victory on Nov. 22 and has spent his last three starts chasing home Bob Johnson’s dynamic duo of Franks Best and Inside Broadway in the Invitational ranks. He figures to appreciate the class relief for Friday’s assignment and looms large with Wiseman guiding.

Calice explained that it’s been some 30 years since she raced here in Sacramento, spending the majority of her time in Florida and Indiana during the interim.

“The timing seemed right, and I’m looking to spend the summer in Oregon when this meet is over. I’m having a great time.”

Apparently, so is Sharpshootennorris.