by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

She was assigned the outside and once again was the only lady in the race, but that didn’t prevent Biggest Big Bertha from getting the hat-trick.

Open Handicap l pacers, racing for a $9,000 purse, went at it at Cal-Expo on Saturday night (September 29), in which Biggest Big Bertha remained razor sharp.

Before starting from her assigned outside slot in the field of a half-dozen, driver Ed Hensley wasn’t concerned with his spot on the gate.

“The six-hole didn’t bother me given how well she raced last week,” said Hensley. “I knew she had a good chance, but I wasn’t sure what I was going to do strategy wise, as that depended on what happened at the gate.”

Half floating out at the start, but tucking in last while 7-3/4 lengths back at the quarter mile pole, timed in :28, Hensley would not be content for much longer.

“Once they lined up, I saw that Tim (Maier), who was on the lead with Hippity Hop, was tapping the brakes too much. And since I didn’t want to go a slow second-quarter, which was what he was going to force me to do, I decided to quarter-pole move her from last.”

Rushing up in the second-quarter, Biggest Big Bertha wouldn’t clear to the front until the half-mile pole, timed in :57, pacing a :27.2 second split.

“I used her a bit going to the front, but I wasn’t concerned because she felt real good, which made me feel that it was going to take something real good to beat her.”

With his charge feeling good, Hensley would let the big mare roll on the final-turn in a :27.4 third-quarter.

“I was just letting her pace and do her thing and she felt comfortable doing it.”

Reaching the three-quarter mile station, timed in 1:24.4, Hensley could see the flashbulb of the photographer in the winner’s circle.

“She still felt very good and I thought she was a winner.”

Now in full gear at the top of the stretch and drawing clear into the lane, Hensley would only need to ask the 6-year-old on via wheel-disc urging with the victory never being in doubt.

“She paced the lane as good as I could have expected. She was very good,” Hensley finished.

Owned by Marilee Keene and David Shell, and trained by Patty Harris, Biggest Big Bertha, in winning ($4.20) by one length, would stop the timer at 1:52.3, a seasonal best.

Keystone Eli (Rick Kuebler) rallied nicely in the stretch to be an improved second, and D Jokerman (Steve Wiseman) was loaded with pace while two-lengths farther back, in third.

Featured on the weekending card were two $22,500 California Sires Stakes for freshmen boys on both gaits, in which the favorites weren’t as successful as their female counterparts the night before.

On the trotting side, Entomologist and Rick Plano took full advantage of a couple brakes by the 1-5 favorite Stars And Sites, and never looked back after fractions of :30.3, 1:01.2, and 1:31.2, before recording a victory ($7.40) in a lifetime best, 2:01.4. Owned by David Neumeister in partnership with trainer Bob Johnson, Entomologist would score by 1-1/2 lengths. The triumph for Plano was the first of four victories.

On the pacing side, Rod’s Famous Ribs stepped up in class to make it three for three in as many career starts. Bred and owned by Rod Knittel, and trained once again by Bob Johnson, Rod’s Famous Ribs would close to win ($9.40) in 1:58.3, a lifetime best. The victory for Hensley was the first of four on the card.