by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — She wasn’t sending out a winning feeling to her pilot with a quarter of a mile to go, but when it got down to the nitty-gritty, Elegant Emma N was all business.

A well-balanced field of distaffers met up at Cal-Expo on Friday night (May 25) in an Open Handicap 3 pace for a purse of $6,000, in which Elegant Emma N upset.

Before starting from post position three in the field of nine, driver Rich Wojcio got the news that his charge might be better than what her last line indicated.

“Trainer Bernie Wolin told me that he felt she had tied-up last week,” said Wojcio. “So obviously I was hoping that she wouldn’t tie-up in this race and would give a better performance; and if she did, I thought she was as good as any of them. The strategy was to leave out of there and hopefully sit behind Tawny Reserve N (Luke Plano).”

Leaving very sharply along with Tawny Reserve N (Luke Plano ) and Tribal Law (Rocky Stidham), the field would roll into the first turn.

“We were pacing pretty hard into the turn and everybody was trying to get position. I would have liked for us to have been going easier with less horses out there, but what could I do?”

Taking a brief lead to the quarter-mile pole, timed in :28.2, but yielding right away to avoid getting involved in a three-horse duel, did Wojcio use his mare?

“She really wasn’t used that bad — she was well within herself. Once I came away third, it was just wait and see as to what would develop.”

Remaining in third at the half-mile pole, timed in :57.1, Wojcio knew he had to put his hopes in the lap of the two horses in front of him.

“I was hoping that Tawny Reserve N and Tribal Law were going to make it through the final turn so that I could hope to get a lane in the stretch and have a chance to race my horse. I still thought my chances were as good as any.”

Electing to not go first-over past the five-eighths-mile pole, Wojcio had good reason.

“She’s pretty much a one-run horse from what I’ve seen of her, so I felt if I used her again at that point, that I’d have no horse for the finish.”

Sneaking out and second-over at the three-quarter-mile pole, timed in 1:26.3, Wojcio was very thankful, yet by no means confident.

“I got very lucky to get out, but she only had moderate pace and I didn’t think at that point that I was a winner. To be honest, based on how she felt, I was looking to be third.”

Tipping three-wide for the drive and under urging from before the seven-eighths-mile pole and on, Wojcio continued to feel that he wasn’t going to reach.

“At first, I didn’t think I was going to get Lil Deuce Coup (Gilbert Herrera), who was the horse I was following at the three-quarter-mile pole. Then, however, late in the lane, I could see I was going to definitely get by her, but when she took the lead with less than a sixteenth of a mile to go, it wasn’t like I had a lot of horse as she was all in at that point. Then I heard Sintillating (Tim Maier) coming and we all know how tough she is, and I figured that more than likely she was going to get me. But my horse, for being a little horse, really dug in and got brave and fought off Sintillating right to the wire.”

Owned by Rick and Marlene Thomas, and trained by Bernie Wolin, Elegant Emma N ($34.00) would win by a half-length in 1:55.1. Sintillating finished in second, and Lil Deuce Coup was another length back in third.

For Rick and Marlene Thomas, the victory completed a consecutive owning double, as well as a consecutive training double for Wolin. The victory also provided Wojcio with a driving double.

“I got real lucky to get out at the three-quarters, but I was still impressed with how she finished the race; she showed a lot of heart,” Wojcio concluded.

In an Open Handicap 4 pace for a $5,000 purse, JM Lucky Girl invaded from Canada to close strongly for the win despite a 27-day layoff.

Owned by Robert Murphy and debuting for trainer and driver Robley Johnson, the only mare in the race would win by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.3, a lifetime best. Michael’s Western (Kevin Anderson) finished in second, and Hard On The Heart (Luke Plano) finished another three-quarters of a length back in third.

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Saturday, May 26. Post time is at 6:15 p.m. (PDT). On Saturday, Cal-Expo will offer Dollar Night, on which hot dogs, beer, soda, tacos, and wine will be sold for one dollar each.

Cal-Expo offers guaranteed $10,000 pools on all Pick-4’s!