from Cal-Expo Raceway

Sacramento, CA — Race secretary Fred Kuebler carded a 14 race program on Thursday, June 3rd at Cal-Expo Raceway with a conditioned pace for a purse of $8,000 headlining the evening.

For the fourth straight week he put the best mares in a field with the best Cal Breds. Five geldings and the best mare, Kievline N, showed up to race. There was a different winner in each of the previous weeks but the mare has not yet won one but was always close with two seconds and a third. As third choice she finished second again, so three out of four races in this class she has been second.

Hi Ho Silverwheels made it two in a row in this class with a huge three-wide move from last place with five-sixteenths left to pace. Luke Plano was content to sit sixth from the start but he revved the very nice altered son of the great Hi Ho Silverheel’s up and flew by the field in a sixteenth of the mile. He opened up in the stretch to win in 1:54 flat. He was sent off second choice in the betting and paid $5.80 to win.

He is a very versatile campaigner. Last week he was sent from the start and led gate-to-wire in 1:53².

Ed Hensley, driving Kievline for Gilbert Garcia, left quickly, but not as quickly as Gee Gee Whiz and the mare settled for a trip in the pocket. Robitaille, even though he was not sharp last week, was sent off as the public favorite. Bruce Clarke took him overland on the backstretch in an abortive move to the front and Gee Gee Whiz parked him. A quarter of the mile later he spit the bit and finished last.

Newcomer to this class was the three-year-old Ball And Chain gelding, Du Wah Diddy. Those of us getting along in years remember Phil Harris singing the song for which this horse was named. Rocky Stidham came nicely with this colt in the stretch to finish third.

Virginia Schick of Sacramento owns the winner and Rick Plano trains him. He is six-years-old out of the nice Spicy Charlie dam Nicols Doll. This was his eighth win in 22 starts this year. He has earned $56,700 in those starts and that puts him $634 shy of $200,000 in his career.

Cal-Expo races three nights this week because of the previous Memorial Day weekend. There was no horse racing of any kind in California on Wednesday, June 2nd.