LOS ALAMITOS : ‘G’ Is Not for Groom or for Guatemala

Gilbert Garcia Herrera wears a yellow G on the sleeves of his blue silks. The initial stands for his surname but also identifies him as the only harness driver on this circuit from Guatemala.

“I think the closest harness track to Guatemala is here,” the 32-year-old driver said last Saturday, smiling after his ninth victory of the meeting. That left him one away from shedding provisional driver status and gaining his A license.

The ninth of 16 children, Herrera grew up on his father’s coffee and sugar plantation, which stabled some riding horses. When he moved to the United States in 1982, Herrera was introduced to trainer Glen Holt by a friend and began working at the track.

“There are a lot of grooms here from Guatemala, but I’m the only driver,” Herrera said.

After working for Holt and Nicol Tremblay, Herrera spent six years as assistant to leading driver Joe Anderson, now based in Chicago.

The 5-foot 4-inch, 145-pound Herrera credits Anderson, another little big man at 5-6, for much of his success.

“I learned a lot from Joe,” said Herrera, who has lived in Sacramento since 1987 and has seen his stable grow to 20 since he began driving two years ago. “One of the best tips I remember is to mind your own business.”

Harness Racing Notes

Sir Dalrae, harness horse of the year in 1973, died last month in New Zealand at 26. . . . Veteran driver Jim Todd is in a San Bernardino hospital after undergoing heart surgery. . . . Till We Meet Again, 2-year-old colt pacing champion of 1989, scored his first victory of the year Saturday in 1:56 4/5 and moved within $24,000 of the $1-million earnings mark. . . . Unbeaten For Hoot Sake, a 3-year-old filly pacer who won the Garden Grove final Friday, was renamed in memory of assistant trainer Harold (Hoot) Gibson, who died of a heart attack at 48 in December. . . .

Belanger, a pacer named after hospitalized police officer Steve Belanger, makes his second start Thursday with all his earnings earmarked for a special recovery fund. The 3-year-old colt was a promising second in his debut. . . . A horsemen’s group will seek approval from the California Horse Racing Board on Friday to conduct a four-month harness meet at Sacramento beginning March 31. . . . Steve Warrington is the meet driving leader with 42 victories. Rick Plano leads the trainer standings with 22 victories.