LOS ALAMITOS : Sialana Leaves One Hot Track for Another

Trainer Rudy Sialana had mixed emotions as the 38-night harness meet ended here Saturday.

Sialana will miss the five-eighths-mile layout for Predazzo N, who blossomed into the pacing star of the meet. But he is moving his stable to Sacramento for a four-month meeting that starts Friday and is eager to see his Tootie Roll again on the Sacramento mile oval. Tootie Roll set a track record of 1:51 1/5 there two years ago.

“We traded a broodmare to get Predazzo from New Zealand in October,� said Sialana after the 6-year-old gelding recorded his eighth Los Alamitos victory in 11 starts for owners Karen Shikuma of Torrance and Pete Marinovich of Valencia.

“Predazzo came with only about $13,000 in earnings, but he often raced a mile and a half or a mile and five-eighths in 15-horse fields, and I’ve had good luck with New Zealand horses.�

Sialana, 51, claimed Tootie Roll for $10,000 two years ago before he recorded the fastest pacing mile in California history, 1:51 1/5.

“He’s just a different animal at Sacramento,� Sialana said. “He likes the swooping turns and long stretch. People in Sacramento won’t know Predazzo. But they’ll know who Tootie Roll is. He won a lot there.�

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The meet closed with average total handle of $853,987, up 1% over last year, and average total attendance of 4,842, up 11%.

“The meeting turned out tremendous as far as racing (goes), considering where we were at the beginning,� said Dave Goldschmidt, vice president and racing secretary of Premier II Harness Racing Assn.

“There had been no (harness) racing in this state for nine months,� added Goldschmidt, who had only about 400 horses on the grounds. “Then we had an unfortunate virus that caused us a lot of scratches.�

Eunice Morrow, treasurer-secretary, said, “The minuses were easy: the weather. We got killed with the rain.�

Steve Warrington romped to the driver title with 74 victories, and Rick Plano edged Mark Anderson by one for trainer honors.

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The return of Sacramento to the harness scene is viewed as a positive step in restoring a California circuit, but Premier officials consider the addition of a fall meeting vital before returning here in late December. Del Mar is considered a possibility.

While the standardbreds head to Sacramento, Los Alamitos will be prepared for a 142-night quarter horse meeting from April 14 through Dec. 17.

Los Alamitos Notes

Steve Belanger, the Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy shot in the head while making an arrest in December, was at the track for the first time in a wheelchair Saturday to see his namesake, Belanger, finish fifth in the second race. Owner Mike Brown bought the colt and renamed him in Belanger’s honor after reading of the incident. All of the horse’s earnings are going into a fund for Belanger, 29, who was released from the hospital two weeks ago. . . .

Fiddler won the $20,000 Courageous Red Pace Saturday in his first start for owner Frank Pregelli of Santa Ana, who bought him for $30,000 last week. . . . Point Break won Saturday for Bruce Clarke in 1:53 4/5, fastest mile of the meet.

Quarter horse world champion Down With Debt’s first foal was born March 8, the birthday of her owner, George Haddad of Costa Mesa. The foal, produced through embryo transfer, is a filly by Chicks Beduino. . . . Bob Gilbert has become the trainer for Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsal. Danny Cardoza, who conditioned the Vessels stable last year, is now the ranch manager. The Vessels-Schvaneveldt horses-in-training sale Tuesday at San Luis Rey Downs in Bonsal will feature remote-access bidding by telephone.