by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Rich Wojcio comes into this week’s action having made 3,708 career trips to the charmed enclosure while banking more than $22 million in the process. Since Rich moved his sulky and whip from the East Coast to California late in 2003, he has become a mainstay in the local room.

One of the performers Wojcio is looking forward to joining forces with again at this stand is Alpine Hawk, who turns up in Saturday’s second race. The 10-year-old trotting son of Movie Mogul has accounted for 37 of his 167 starts with a 1:56.3 mark and the next check he picks up will put him over the $150,000 earnings plateau.

“We pretty much stayed here in Sacramento and took care of Alpine Hawk,” Wojcio related when asked about the break between meets. “He hasn’t started since April, and we’ve worked on getting him ready.”

Wojcio’s first career snapshot came in his third start at Freehold back in 1978, guiding a pacing filly named Hiding Place to victory. It was in the late 1980s that he recorded the richest win of his career, that coming over the storied Yonkers layout.

“It was the Art Rooney and it was worth $300,000 at the time,” he recalled. “It was a pacer named Whiteland Trouble and he was trained by Luca Derrico.”

It was in January of 2010 that Wojcio was involved in a serious spill here that saw him suffer a concussion, a broken left arm and facial injuries that sidelined him for much of that year.

“I don’t remember a thing about the race, just waking up and being all banged up. It was the worst accident I’ve had in 35 years of driving, and I was just grateful that nobody else was hurt.

“I’ll always remember the support that I got from everybody, because it meant a lot to me. As far as this meeting goes, it’s real nice to be back and I just hope that everybody has a good and safe one.”

By the way, Wojcio’s 3,700-plus victories puts him first among the pilots who competed here on opening week. Jim Lackey is other driver here in the 3,000 club, with 3,225 tallies and more than $14 million in earnings. Gene Vallandingham currently sports $2,914 wins, while fellow veteran Steve Desomer has made 2,596 trips to the circle. Luke Plano is working his way to 2,000 in a hurry, as he now has 1,902 photographs in the scrapbook.

Live racing resumes at Cal Expo on Friday (September 2) and Saturday (September 3) at 6 p.m. (PDT). Carryover on Friday in the Early Pick-4 (races 2-5) is $3,940.33. Total estimated pool is $15,000.