Paul Welence notches first career victory at Cal Expo

It’s a good bet that the first race on Wednesday at Cal Expo is one that Paul Welence won’t soon forget as the 47-year-old Richmond native notched his first career driving victory in this contest while guiding 6-1 shot Tudour to a two-length victory over a "sloppy" racetrack.

As if Welence wasn’t already wet and dirty enough, he was greeted with the traditional buckets of water and some hosing to boot as he returned to the drivers' room following his score with the Vickie Desomer trainee. Welence had certainly been knocking on the door, recording three seconds and a third from his first 14 tries, and got over the hump off a second-over trip with this 3-year-old pacing filly.

“It was a great feeling, really overwhelming,” Welence related after the victory. “They told me she didn’t really like the whip, so I just chirped at her around the three-quarters and hit the wheel and she responded. Down the stretch it was just yelling and tapping that disc and she gave me a real nice finish.”

And what about that wet greeting he received from his fellow drivers on the way back to the room?

“They got me from all sides,” Welence explained. “Lou Pena really got me, because he was sitting in the grandstand above with a bucket of water, and it even knocked my mud shield off.”

Welence started out as a fan of the sport many years ago, made the move to owner in 2005, then decided to take a serious step to harness driver. Through owner Phil Campbell he met Todd Ratchford, his first trainer, and he also credits Robert Bell, Robin Clements, Vickie Desomer and several others with teaching him about the game from the ground up. 

“Everybody has been so helpful and had lots of great advice,” he noted. “I also got some real good experience during the summer break by driving at the Desomer farm over their five-eighths track.” (Cal Expo)

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