Steve Specht / Courtesy photo

 Santa Rosa’s Steve Specht earned his 1,000th victory as a trainer when his  6,330th career starter Veillit’ won the fifth race at Golden Gate Fields today at Albany.

        Veillit’ is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams and was ridden by Frank Alvarado.

        “I was happy to win [No. 1,000] with the Williams and Frank,” said
Specht.  ”They are very good clients and breed a lot of horses.  Frank has
won a lot of races for me, and some pretty big ones.”

     Veillit won a $12,500 maiden claimer for 2-year-olds going one mile on the all-weather surface and  returned $22.80 to win, $11.20 to place and $4.60 to show.

      Specht, 59, has been around horses all of his life.

       His father Robert “Whitey” Specht also trained race horses until his death in 1970.

        “I was pretty much raised at the track,” Specht reminisced. “We lived in a trailer at Fairmont Park in Illinois. I’ve got pictures of my dad holding me at the track when I was a baby.”

         After spending time galloping horses, working as a jock’s agent and working for other trainers, Specht became a full time trainer in 1974.

       Asked if he had a particular timetable on when he’ll give up training, Specht just chuckled.

       ”You’d think a guy like me, that has been around racing this long would have been retired by now. . . . ”
    
       “Id like to quit tomorrow,” Specht said laughing.  But as long as I’ve got bills to pay, I’ll keep chugging along. I just hope it’s before I tip over in the shed row someday. I can’t say there’s a chance in the near future, he added, but I’ll keep my head down and my ass up.  But if  I ever get to the financial situation that I could say I don’t need this anymore, I don’t know if I would just walk away. I’d be doing something I’m sure. Maybe have a horse or two or a mare or something.”

        Specht and Alvarado teamed up for their biggest victory in 2007 when they traveled to Gulfstream Park in Florida and captured the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic with McCann’s Mojave.

       ”That was by far the biggest purse I’ve ever won and McCann’s Mojave is by far the best horse I’ve ever trained,” said Specht, who has trained many multiple stakes-winners, including Lady Railrider, who won the Pacific Heights Stakes at Golden Gate Fields last Saturday for the Williams and Alvarado.

      I’madrifter, who won a pair of $100,000 stakes at Golden Gate Fields (the 2002 Lafayette Handicap and the 2003 Berkeley Handicap), and Our Mango, who paid $100.20 to win after shocking her opponents in the 2004 California Cup Distaff at Santa
Anita, are two of Specht’s other notable stakes performers.

      But despite the huge pay day, McCann’s Mojave will finish second to  Specht’s all-time favorite Silver Stan.

         “I claimed Silver Stan back in1994  for $4,000. He was the second winningest horse in the country that year. He eventually won a couple of allowances, and won for $20- and $25,000. He won just over $105,000 in the year I owned him. Then I lost him for either $20,000 or $25,000.

       During his career Specht has ridden numerous Hall of Fame riders the likes of  Early Fires, Russell Baze, Lafette Pincay Jr., Gary Stevens, Pat Day, Eddie Dellahousey to name a few.

      Specht said he never rode Willie Shoemaker but knew him well, and actually was to meet Shoe and good friend and former jockey Don Pierce for dinner the night Shoemaker was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed.

Congratulations to the winning connections, jockey Alvarado and especially Mr. Specht.

Jean Anderson contributed to this report