Big Guy Two Win left little doubt in last week’s opening leg of the Richard Staley Pacing Series for owner Kimberley Hines, trainer George Reider and driver Mooney Svendsen, as he made every pole a winning one while never appearing to be in danger at Cal Expo.
“They named this pacer right,” his conditioner remarked. “He’s probably the biggest horse on the grounds at over 17 hands, and he’s not exactly the easiest horse to trainer because he has a mind of his own.
“You can see in the post parade that needs the outrider, and that really helps. He doesn’t have what you would call the biggest motor, but he has a big set of lungs and a big heart and that kind of compensates for the small engine.”
The nine-year-old Ohio-bred son of Towners Big Guy has earned his $82,000 bank account the old-fashioned way, with his 1:55 lifetime standard being established two years ago. He was winning for the first time in six starts this season with his Staley snapshot that featured Reider and a beaming owner/assistant trainer Hines.
“Kimberley has owned him for five years now and he’s the closest thing we have in the barn to a family horse. They always take rides down the American River, and if she could, I’m sure Kim would build a room for him at her house.”
Big Guy Two Win is back in action in the second leg of the Staley, and he’ll do his work from the outside post in the field of seven. “Hopefully we can keep him sharp through the series,” Reider added.
The race has been carded as the ninth on a 14-race card. First post is set for 5:25 p.m.
(With files from Cal Expo)