Steve Wiseman Displays A Driving Ambition At Cal Expo

Steve Wiseman Displays A Driving Ambition At Cal Expo
Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - by Mark Ratzky, Publicity -- Cal Expo

Steve Wiseman comes into this week a solid third in the driver standings at Cal Expo, while having recently passed the 1,500-win plateau.

Steve was born into the sport, a third generation horseman who learned his lessons from father Raleigh and the likes of Joe Anderson, Tim Maier and Rick Plano. While he enjoys training a small stable, he’s always concentrated on evening action in the sulky.

“I have five horses right now and that’s about all I want,” he related. “There is always time later on to train more. As far as driving goes, if they have 15 races a night, I like to be in all of them.”

As mentioned earlier, Wiseman had some fine teachers along the way, including his father.

“This is what I wanted to do from the time I was old enough to know,” Steve explained. “I remember jogging horses when I was 10 and I tried to learn as much as I could from everybody that I worked for along the way.”

Wiseman got his first winner’s circle photo at Balmoral Park in Chicago.

“It was with a horse named Roger Carr for Joe Anderson. That was obviously a big one, but the most gratifying would have to be when I won my first Sire Stakes race with Lodi Blaster for my dad.”

As far as favorite performers, Steve goes right to the pacer Marine To Marine.

“He was the horse who really put us on the map. We claimed him for $9,600, and he ended up winning over $100,000 for us and set a 1:54 mark. He was special.”

Wiseman also makes a point to give credit to his wife Kathy and daughter Tyler, who are right there along with him.

“Their support is very important to me,” he said.

Spoons Gets Class Relief In Friday Headliner At Cal Expo

Spoons, who has had the thankless task of chasing home the streaking Shamderock in Sire Stakes competition, gets away from that pacer and heads the cast for Friday evening’s (May 27) $2,700 feature at Cal Expo.

A 3-year-old homebred son of Power Of Art out of the Leading Edge mare Huddled, Spoons is owned by Chris Bardis and the Desomer Stables with Vickie Desomer the conditioner. He will be looking for his first win of the year with five seconds from his 10 trips to the post.

The bay performer has recorded three of those runner-up finishes this season in stakes company behind the aforementioned Shamderock, who has dominated the division. The most recent came last weekend, when Spoons showed the way for three-quarters, then was no match when Rick Plano’s star came calling. He did finish a dozen lengths in front of the rest of the field.

Poor House and Racetrack Diva are also exiting Sire Stakes company in the sophomore filly ranks, checking in second and third behind the Desomer representative Dine N Wine in the final big-money clash of the spring last week.

Poor House is a Little Steven offspring who carries the banner of Rick & Marlene Thomas, George Reider and Dave Haness with George Reider doing the training. She picked up a stakes trophy on April 22 and just missed in last week’s get-together after rallying to the lead in the stretch in that affair.

Racetrack Diva is another daughter of Little Steven who was a double stakes victress last season, but has had to settle for minor prizes this year. Denise Maier trains and James Kennedy will do the honors.

Completing the cast are Diamond Player, who leaves from the one-hole with Lemoyne Svendsen guiding; One And Only; and a pair from the Jim Wilkinson Jr. barn in Thelady Isa Champ and Whipped Dreams.

Live racing resumes at Cal Expo on Thursday (May 26) and continues through Saturday (May 28). Post-time on Thursday is 5:30 p.m. (PDT). Post-time on Friday (May 27) & Saturday is 6:00 p.m. On Thursday nights through the end of the winter-spring meet, Cal Expo offers the Late Pick-4 with a $10,000 guaranteed pool. The wager will be conducted on races six through nine. Further, the takeout for the Late Pick-4 will be lowered to 15 percent, as it will also be on the Early Pick-4. On Thursday and every live card, Cal Expo offers free admission, as well as free preferred & general parking after 4:30 p.m. Also on Thursday night from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Cal Expo offers a complete Lasagna dinner, which includes salad and bread, for just $3.00. Additionally on Thursday, beer & wine can be purchased for $3.00 each as well.

On Saturdays, Cal Expo offers a reduced 15 percent takeout rate on both the Early & Late Pick-4 with the Late Pick-4 having a $15,000 gross guaranteed pool. Additionally, for winning wagers made on the Late Pick-4 online at TwinSpires.com or on track at Cal Expo, a bonus payout of 17.65 percent of the gross Late Pick 4 mutuel payoff will be paid.