Open Handicap 1 trotters, racing for a purse of $8,000, were featured at Cal-Expo on Friday night (February 22), on which Ohoka Jasper took full advantage of a great lead-up trip.

In advance of starting from post-position four in the field of five over a sloppy oval, trainer/driver Rick Plano knew things could be better.

“He has been bumpy and not as good in his last handful of starts as he had been, but I changed his shoes for this race,” said Plano. “Still, I was going to be careful with him because it had been raining the last few days and I hadn’t had any time to train him.”

Coming away in last position while TV Mom (Lemoyne Svendsen), K D Rowdy One (Rocky Stidham) and Easter Call (Lou Pena) vied for the lead, Ohoka Jasper would find himself five-lengths back at the quarter-mile pole, but off of a snappy :28.3 for wet conditions.

“The quarter was good for me because unlike the week before when they went :29, which was slow for that night, this quarter was fast for tonight. I knew off that if they got to the half pretty good, that I’d have a good chance of catching them coming home.”

With the pace slowing up in the second-quarter as the pace-setting Easter Call reached the half-mile marker, timed in :59.1, Plano wasn’t concerned.

“That was a legitimate half for track conditions.”

Moving first-over with a rush to the final turn before getting second-over cover just past the five-eighths mile pole from TV Mom, Plano was pleased.

“When TV Mom came out in front of me, I thought that was good because I thought she was one of the players in the race and I hoped that she’d carry me into the race.”

Now getting very live cover and just a diminishing two-lengths off the lead while now third at the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:30, Plano knew it was just a matter of manners being minded.

“At that point, all I figured he’d have to do was behave and he’d win from there.”

Continuing to get towed up very nicely while now in the stretch, Plano would let his charge know it was time to go.

“I flipped him three-wide and popped his earplugs to the seven-eighths and he would eventually cruise by. I know TV Mom did get away from me a bit, but I wanted to be careful and get him set before I started to drive on him a little.”

Wearing down a game TV Mom in the shadow of the wire to win ($5.20) by one-length, the Virginia Schick owned gelding would stop the timer at 1:58.3, a seasonal best. The victory for owner Schick was the start of an ownership double. For Plano, the triumph was the start of a driving double and a training triple. TV Mom had to settle for second, and British Columbia (Steve Hyman) finished another two-lengths farther back, in third.