by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — The second night of $15,000 California Sires Stakes, this for the 3-year-old boys, were spotlighted at Cal-Expo on Saturday (April 10), in which Dancing Barry and Franks Best were the best.

In the first division, this for the pacers, Dancing Barry and trainer Rick Plano made an easy lead from post position one in the field of six. Never getting pressured through fractions of :29.3, :59.4, and 1:28.3, the gelding held firm under urging to win ($3.80) by three-quarters of a length.

Bred in part by owner Wayne Knittel, Dancing Barry stopped the timer at 1:57.1. The pocket sitting Hi Ho Steverino (Luke Plano) completed the Rick Plano trained exacta, and Art Deco (Steve Desomer) finished another 2-1/2 lengths farther back in third.

“Even though he had qualified in mediocre fashion, he had trained back nicely and I thought he was the horse to beat with my stablemate Hi Ho Steverino being the main threat,” stated Plano. “I got exactly what I wanted — an easy lead and an easy half — then I kept everybody in place in the third quarter and sprinted home a winner.

“He did what he had to do for a horse that hadn’t raced since last December 19. He was the best 2-year-old and will hopefully be the best 3-year-old.”

Also on tap were the trotting boys, in which Franks Best won as pleased.

Leaving and getting the pocket a sixteenth of a mile past the start from post three in the field of a half-dozen into a :30.2 first quarter, driver Jim Lackey waited until the three-eighths pole to move the big 2-5 favorite to the lead — which they’d obtain at the 7-16ths pole.

Opening up four lengths once on the lead while reaching the half-mile juncture in 1:02, the gelding trotted an effortless :29.4 third quarter while five lengths to the good at the three-quarter station, timed in 1:31.4.

All alone into the stretch and hardly urged except for a very light late urge, Franks Best scored ($2.80) under a pretty good grip by four lengths. Bred, owned and trained by Bob Johnson, Franks Best won in 2:01.4. The early pacesetting Big Baller (Steve Desomer) followed the winner the last 9-16ths of the mile and was easily second-best, while Bobby Baccala (Rick Plano) inherited third in the lane to finish another 13 lengths farther back.

“It’s not very often you have the luxury of driving the horse that’s clearly the best,” said Lackey. “A horse who is also taken care of by a top caretaker in Victor Abrego, and who is also capably trained by Bob Johnson and his fine second trainer Robert Bell.

“With that said the horse did all the rest of the talking. He raced as good as needed — plus a little bit more,” concluded Lackey, who had a driving triple on the card.