Holme Fora Cuddle shows determination at Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Conditioned ladies, racing for a $4,000 purse, were in the Thursday night spotlight at Cal-Expo, in which Holme Fora Cuddle was the only horse to wire a field.

Leaving for the lead from post seven in the field of seven, the 7-year-old mare wouldn’t clear to the point until the field had traveled 3-16ths of a mile into a :28.4 opening quarter.

“It took her a little while to get there because she’s not good in the turns,” noted trainer/driver Rick Plano. “But it really didn’t concern me.”

Pacing an easy :29.2 wind-aided second quarter on her way to a :58.1 first-half, Plano was pleased.

“It was a good half for her because last week I went faster (:56.4), but on the other hand it was a lot cooler tonight. But since I got my way to a cheap half and had everyone lined up, I thought my chances were good.”

Holme Fora Cuddle led by a neck at the three-quarter station, timed in 1:27.3. But when the field entered the stretch, Plano got a plenty big scare when Dawnlikeslillies put her head in front.

“I was absolutely concerned because I simply didn’t know if my horse was going to come back and get the win. She, however, is a fighter in the lane when she’s on her game as she has been the last few weeks.”

Now under a drive with an eighth of a mile to go, Holme Fora Cuddle would fight back in deep stretch and put her neck in front at the wire. Owned by Chris Schick and Maryann Plano, Holme Fora Cuddle would win ($9.20) in 1:56.2, thus establishing a seasonal mark. Dawnlikeslillies was a solid second, and Little Bit Country (Steve Hyman) was another three-quarters of a length farther back in third.

“She was able to come back and win, but I didn’t know I was going to win until we got to the wire. It was a good race for her because she won and hadn’t won in a while,” finished Plano, who recorded a driving triple on the card, thus giving him 25 winners over the last seven cards.

— Scott Ehrlich