by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Lemoyne Svendsen is the regular pilot for two of the gamest trotters you’re likely to find at any racetrack in TV Mom and Challenge The King.

The former is a mare from the George Reider barn who has accounted for three of the last four top dances at the head of the class at Cal-Expo, while Challenge The King is two-for-two on the comeback trail for Bob Johnson and is one of the feel-good stories of the season.

“They’re both a pleasure to drive and I can’t wait to get behind them every week,” related Svendsen. “They’re just as game as they come, but they are different types as far as driving goes. TV Mom is basically push-button, and I think she’s made like one break in the last four years, while King will run if you’re not careful.”

After a couple of tough first-over outings that resulted in a win and a close third, TV Mom drew a better slot in last week’s Open and sat a perfect stalking journey for Svendsen while rewarding her many backers at even-money.

“You give her a trip like that and she’s not going to get beat,” her pilot said.

As for Challenge The King, this Lisa Ehrlich color-bearer has had enough setbacks to fill a medical book, but he’s all heart and has now posed for pictures following eight of his nine starts on the year. After capturing three straight Opens early in the season, he suffered some fresh obstacles that kept him away from the wars from mid-February until November 19. He’s picked up right where he left off as far as the winning goes, while the company is softer.

“What can you say about a horse like this?” Svendsen said. “He’s just amazing. To overcome everything he has and still go out there and trot like that, it shows he’s a real warrior.”

Svendsen noted that the only time he joins forces with the 7-year-old is on race night, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t keeping track of one of his all-time favorites.

“I keep an eye out for him during the week,” he noted.

Conrad has definitely come to play

Chris Conrad, who recently invaded from the Midwest with 15 performers, represents the fourth generation of harness horsemen in the family. He has posed for pictures with three of his first 14 starters here.

“It was pretty much a forgone conclusion when I was a kid that this is what I was going to do,” Conrad related. “It started with my great grandfather Elmer, then my granddad Charles and my father Don. My brother Charlie is also a driver/trainer.”

The 38-year-old Lexington, Ky., native was mixing it up on the racetrack soon after he graduated from high school.

“My dad turned me loose with a horse named Dirk Almahurst, who was a real nice one who raced in the Invitationals. He earned over $300,000 and I put his 1:53 mark on him at Hoosier.”

Conrad really cut his teeth at the now defunct Riverside Downs in Kentucky, a half-mile track that provided him with quite an education. He has had a steady stream of winners over the years, and decided this fall it might be a wise move to take a shot at California.

“I’ve been watching the races here and it looked like it would be a good fit, because I had quite a few big-track horses who like to close and figured to do well over the mile track,” Chris explained. “The weather also played a part in the decision.

“So far, it’s turned out to be a good move, because I’ve picked up a new owner and a couple of others have shown interest. When I came out I wasn’t sure how long I’d stay, but the way things have started out, I wouldn’t be surprised if I make this my winter base.”

Going that extra mile (and an eighth)

Racing secretary Fred Kuebler has put together a rather unique program Sunday (December 6), with eight of the 10 races carded at a mile and an eighth, while the two featured events will be contested at the traditional once-around mile.

“We’ve been experimenting with some of these mile and an eighth races for about a month now, and this week we carded all the $4,000 claimers for the trotters and pacers at that distance,” Kuebler related. “The feedback has been generally good from the horsemen, so we’re trying some more now.

“The plus side is the fact that the horses now have that extra distance to the turn, so it’s easier to settle and find a spot. It probably helps even things out a bit for the horses leaving from the outside.”

Does Fred feel there is an advantage one way or another when it comes to pacesetters or come from behind types?

“The conventional wisdom would be that it benefits the closers, because they figure to appreciate the added distance, but I think if anything, it helps the horses on the front end. They don’t have to work so hard into that first turn and they can settle quickly and slow things down.”

Of course, every race is it’s own handicapping puzzle, so the mile and an eighth is just something extra tossed into the mix. By the way, going this extra bit of ground is nothing new for the Down Under performers, as Australian and New Zealand racing is often contested at not only this journey, but also at a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half.

Trackman Marty “Michigan Avenue” Bridges is a big fan of these longer events.

“It reminds me a lot of watching the start at tracks like Woodbine, where they have that extended time into the first turn. What I really like about these races, in addition to them being fairer, is that they help mix things up and provide more variables to the handicapping. Next time, when you have some horses coming out of mile races and some coming out of these, there’s something new to consider.”

Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Thursday (December 3) and continues through Sunday (December 6). Post time on Thursday and Friday is at 5:45 p.m. (PST). Post time on Saturday and Sunday night is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.