WHITE GETS DRIVING WIN NO. 2,000 

Rick White happily keeps chalking up milestones -- but he’s also a realist.

Last Saturday the veteran driver at Fraser Downs won back-to-back races, Nos. 1,999 and 2,000 of his fine career. When asked about getting his 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000th at the Cloverdale emporium he said, “I guess it means a little more as you get older,” and then added with a chuckle, “but it also means that you’re not going to get another 2,000.”

White, who will turn 50 years of age in June, got his first driving win in 1975 at the old Orangeville Raceway in Ontario. He got No. 1,000 20 years later at the Downs (then called Cloverdale Raceway).

The two wins Saturday were with horses he also trains. No. 1,999 was a classic as 14-1 shot Twentyten roared home late from an eight-hole start in the fourth race for her maiden win. One race later he piloted Beggars Opera to victory and the special win was recognized in the winner’s enclosure.

And Rick admitted that was an exiting feeling.

“It was good,” White said of the win and the moment. “I had my family out to watch, actually I made them come,” he said with another chuckle. “My daughter (Tess) asked me how long it would take.”

The family is really most proud of the man whose driving wins have amounted to earnings of close to $7 million and who also has 933 triumphs as a trainer.

White also said he is actually trying to ease back on his driving. “I want to quit catch driving (for other trainers) but people keep putting me down (to drive). I would like to concentrate on driving my own horses.”

White’s two wins tied him for second among drivers in last weekend’s abbreviated two days of racing. On Friday, a power failure with a bank of seven light standards on the clubhouse turn of the track forced the judges to cancel the races after five were completed.

Jim Burke led all drivers over the two days with four victories while Serge Masse, Andy Arsenault, Scott Knight and Gord Abbott joined White at two.

Three other trainers were deadlocked with White at two wins. They were Knight, Heather Burke and Greg Beneen. 

SENATOR AT FOUR STRAIGHT: It may have looked like a replay as Red Star Senator continued to show his class.

The four-year-old son of Presidential Ball made it four successive victories in the premier event (claiming $35,000, non-winners of $7,500 last six with open pacers) of the weekend at Fraser Downs.

On an ideal night and only a good track, off two seconds (there is the only thing that may have shown it was not a replay as it was a fast track the previous week), Senator was again all business. He roared from the six-hole to go gate to wire to win by a whopping 7¾ lengths. He covered the mile in 1:53.4, equaling his lifetime best for the second week in a row.

He now has a 6-2-3 record in 13 starts in 2006, season earnings of $51,400 (the most of any competitor), 17 lifetime wins and more than $234,000 in career earnings.

Senator, the 3-5 favorite with Jim Burke in the sulky, had the lead in the blink of an eye and led by 1½ lengths (the same as the previous week) at the first-quarter pole. He then had a fine 28.4-second last quarter despite the tougher track.

For the second week in a row, Haras Cola Cola, who started outside, did not get great respect before the race with odds of 14-1, but used a late move to grab second place while C Lec Machine, at 38-1, was third.

Red Star Senator is owned by Mary Murphy and trained by Bob Merschback. 

LIGHTS OUT PUT STREAKS ON HOLD: With the abbreviated card of last Friday when a track lighting problem forced the cancellation of the last seven races, the chances of several horses extending winning streaks was put on hold.

Cher The Wealth, a six-year-old daughter of Wheelin Chance, was an 8-5 overnight favorite after winning her fourth in a row, her seventh win in her last eight starts and making her 2006 record 13-7-1-1 in her previous start.

Headliner, a five-year-old son of Broadway Blue, was favored to win his second straight and run his record in his last eight to 5-2-0.

Better Best was a 2-1 choice to push her sparkling 2006 chart to 14-6-4-2 and Furness Abbey was the overnight favorite to make it two straight.

Scooting Spree, a three-year-old son of Keystone Landmark, did get to race and won his second consecutive start for owner/driver Jim Burke and trainer Heather Burke, this time in a career best clocking of 1:58.4.

Trulyatyrant, a six-year-old son of True Tyrant, moved up in class but he didn’t slow down as he won his third straight last Saturday and pushed his 2006 record to eight victories in 14 starts for trainer/driver Scott Knight.

Davy N Goliath, a four-year-old son of Goliath Bayama, who won his first of 2006 after 14 starts the previous week, made it two consecutive victories for trainer Wendell Smith and driver Steve Germain. 

MORE TO THE STORY: A story ran earlier this week about Rair Earth – but left out a note of interest.

Rair Earth came up with another startling performance at Woodbine last Saturday when he roared over the oval in a time of 1:48.4 -- his second sub-1:49 win of the season.

The nine-year-old son of Keystone Raider-Save The Day equaled Woodbine's track record of 1:48.2 earlier this year.

Phil Hudon was behind the Todd Gray-trainee, who is 4-4-1 in 13 starts this season for and who is now a 48-time winner with over $1.5 million in earnings. He joins Admirals Express as the only two pacers in Canadian history to post a pair of sub-1:49 wins.

Rair Earth's 1:48.4 clocking is the second fastest mile ever turned in during the month of April. The fastest clocking belongs to Pacific Fella, who posted a 1:48.2 victory in a leg of the Graduate Series at Colonial Downs on April 24, 1998.

The following was not mentioned.

Rair Earth won by just a neck over the hard-closing (26 second final quarter) Lil Dude Starrbuck.  The five-year-old son of Threefold is still owned by Lil Dude Ranch (the Renkers) of Surrey. 

CALGARY TRACK GROWS: According to reports in the April 26 editions of the Calgary Sun and Calgary Herald, approval to build a new state-of-the-art racetrack and gaming facility has been granted by local politicians.

The facility which is to be located in Balzac, just north of the Calgary airport, was given unanimous approval by council according to Ray Clark, the chief administrative officer for the Municipal District of Rocky View. The project is expected to be completed sometime in 2008.

The project, which includes individual tracks for both standardbred and thoroughbred racing, has grown substantially in scope over the past few months and will also include a major shopping mall, other retail outlets, commercial space and a satellite college campus.

Reports suggest the massive shopping complex, owned by Ivanhoe Cambridge, will join the racetrack as an anchor attraction to a 660-acre entertainment/business area.

The new plans for the parcel of land also call for a $100-million four-star convention hotel, plus two other flag hotels on the property, a big-box shopping zone, a $75-million business campus and $200 million worth of commercial distribution development (warehouses, etc.).

 The total price tag for the dual-breed operation is now estimated at $1 billion.