by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — She was the only lady in the race, and she had her trainer a bit baffled, but Cron Law got the trip she needed and was up in time.

Claiming handicap trotters, in for a tag from $15,000 to $20,000, contested for a purse of $6,500 on Thursday night (March 2) at Cal-Expo Raceway, and Cron Law was the pocket-rocket. Starting from post position two in the field of six, trainer/driver Todd Ratchford went into the race hoping for the best.

“Going into the race, I hoped she would just race better after being disappointing last week,” said Ratchford. “This after closing real well in her February 11 start when she finished third in a mile she needed. And what bluffed me about last week’s race was that she trained real well before her last and disappointed me. So when she trained well this week, I didn’t know what to expect.”

With the field sent on their way, Cron Law left out of the gate and found herself behind Dangerous Thing (Lemoyne Svendsen) in an easy pocket, much to the delight of her pilot, just before the field entered the first turn.

“I was happy with the pocket because last week Eddie (Hensley) put her on the front and I think that trotting mares, as they get older, tend to not want to do all the work, they want to have the work done for them. So getting the pocket tonight was good. I was just hoping that Dangerous Thing would carry me until the stretch, and that hopefully my mare would have trot.”

Off of a first quarter timed in :31, Cron Law sat a pretty anxious two hole in the second quarter while on the bit, mostly in part to another :31 split by the pace-setting Dangerous Thing.

“Off the 1:02 first half, I figured it would be a sprint home, and usually when she gets slow fractions, she’s usually pretty strong at the end.”

Now locked in the box in the third quarter while Dangerous Thing fought the first-over Hanover County (Rich Wojcio), Ratchford was happy with how his mare felt, while at the same time having high hopes for what lied ahead.

“She felt really good in the third quarter, I was just hoping I would get some room.”

Still looking for room past the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:31.1, Ratchford came off the pylons entering the stretch.

“I pulled her to the outside into the stretch maybe hoping there was some room, but there was none. I saw an opening back towards the inside along the pylons and I went for it and she had trot, which I was happy she had at that point of the mile. I figured from that point on she’d just keep coming and I was confident she was going to wear down Dangerous Thing.”

Wear down Dangerous Thing she did, as Cron Law, in the final stride, got up for a neck victory. Owned by Carol Campbell and Jean MacDonnell, the seven-year-old trotted the mile in 2:00. Dangerous Thing just failed and had to settle for second, while Dutchman (Etienne Desomer) finished in third, another two and three-quarter lengths back.

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Friday and will continue through Saturday, starting each day at 5:35 p.m. On Friday night, Cal-Expo offers Happy Hour from 5:00-7:00 p.m., in which fans can enjoy $1 beer and $2 wine.

Guaranteed Late Pick 4 pool every Friday/Saturday

Sacramento Harness Association at Cal-Expo continues to offer a $20,000 guaranteed Late Pick 4 pool every Friday and Saturday, on races 9 through 12.