by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Beach, Beach, Beach made her patented big move turning for home last week with Lemoyne “Mooney” Svendsen at the controls and went on to her 10th victory on the year from 32 trips to the post.

The 4-year-old daughter of Hi Ho Silverheel’s and the Beach Towel mare BJ’s Beach Fire is owned by Bob Johnson and David Neumeister, with Johnson doing the training.

“I’ve had her since she was three and she was cut out to be a nice filly, but some physical and mental things have made her a 4 (thousand dollar) claimer,” Johnson explained. “She can be a little unpredictable out there, because there was a time when she liked to show speed, now she seems to do better when she isn’t used early.”

Beach, Beach, Beach finished up the summer meeting with back-to-back victories, but didn’t show up for work again until a December 4 affair at a mile and one-eighth where she lost all chance with a break on the final bend.

“The one thing about this filly is that she doesn’t like to be in close quarters,” her mentor related. “If a whip from another horse gets in her face or anything like that, she’s liable to make a break.

“The reason she didn’t come right back at the start of this meet was that after the two wins in the summer we found a chip in her knee, and it took some time to get her back. She’s doing well now, and that was a nice move she made the other night, although it helped that some of the horses behind her got caught in some traffic.”

Gene, Gene and the trotting machine

Gene Vallandingham has formed a very successful partnership with Lisa Pilcher’s talented 2-year-old trotting filly Betty Elizabeth, as they have rattled off three straight stakes scores, including last weekend’s $25,000 Championship.

This should assure the daughter of Panama Hanover year-end honors, and Vallandingham has nothing but praise for this Pilcher trainee.

“I’ve been out there pretty much whenever she’s trained for the past eight months, and from day one she just did everything right,” Gene said.

“She’s got decent size, a good gait, good manners and most important of all with a young horse, she trots all the time. Lisa has done a great job with her and it’s a pleasure to drive one like this.”

The 69-year-old Vallandingham knows a thing or two about good harness horses, having reined and trained many of them in his career. He came into this week with 2,874 driving wins on his resume, good for over $13 million in earnings.

It was some 40 years ago that Gene shifted his base from Chicago to California and this colorful horseman was an instant success while making frequent visits to the charmed enclosures at Cal-Expo, Hollywood Park and Los Alamitos.

The veteran pilot was asked about the best trotter and pacer he ever sat behind.

“As far as pacers go, it would have to be Courageous Red for Bobby Johnson,” he related. “He had a ton of speed and he was the kind of horse who made a driver look good.

“The best trotter would have to be Monterey Margie, who I had many years ago. She was flighty, but she was awfully fast, and she had the track record at Maywood Park for a time.”

Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Saturday (December 26) at 5:45 p.m. (PST) and on Sunday (December 27) at 5:40 p.m. On Saturday night at Cal-Expo, it’s Dollar Night, on which hot dogs, beer, soda, and wine will be sold for one dollar.

A reminder that next week’s New Year’s schedule will find the trotters and pacers in action on Friday (January 1) through Sunday (January 3). The following week will see a return to the regular Thursday through Sunday night action.