by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — The sun in the sky was clearly shining bright with the temperature at 101 degrees for Wednesday’s featured event, but on this evening, the sun on the track, that being Eweburn Sun N, was also shining bright.

Invitational handicap trotters, racing for a purse of $7,900, were in the spotlight for the racing week opener at Cal-Expo, in which Eweburn Sun N got back on the winning track.

In advance of starting from post position five in the field of six, owner/trainer/driver Rick Plano had reason to believe his trotter would bounce back after a miscue the week before.

“He trained back good this week after breaking last week, which I attributed to him tying-up,” said Plano. “Additionally, he scored down a lot better tonight — which made me feel more confident about his chances. I went into the races feeling his chances were good, and unless he made a ‘boo-boo,’ he was more than likely to be right there on the line, or win.

“As far as strategy, by me being inside of Desperatehousewife (Gilbert Herrera) this week, I figured I’d let my horse leave out of there while at the same time thinking that Desperatehousewife wouldn’t leave. But, as it turned out, she did.”

Firing out and getting the lead as the field had just entered the first turn, Eweburn Sun N would yield for the pocket to Desperatehousewise at the quarter-mile pole, timed in a speedy :27.3.

“I was actually hoping that Desperatehousewife would tuck in behind me, but there wasn’t any room, so I held my horse up a little and let her go on. The :27.3 wasn’t going to hurt my horse, and I thought it could hurt Desperatehousewife, but as it turns out, Gilbert (Herrera) slowed up the second quarter, as well as the middle-half. I could have gone back to the front, but I don’t care to race my horse on the lead anymore than I have to. Plus, for me to be in the two hole behind Desperatehousewife isn’t a bad place to be — it was just a matter of getting out and winning.”

On the bit in the second quarter as a result of a slow :30.1 split, Eweburn Sun N would remain in the pocket at the half-mile pole, timed in :57.4, with Plano 100 percent sure of his plan at that point.

“I was sitting and I wasn’t moving!”

Under a hold on the final turn while also locked in through the final bend, as well as at the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:27, Plano actually had two concerns.

“I had plenty of horse, so it was just a matter of finding room — whether it was inside or outside. My concern was not only finding room, but my main concern was him staying flat because if you make a second break, you get put on the stewards list and have to qualify.”

Moving up the inside to the seven-eighths-mile pole, Plano had to move his charge through a narrow seam, but the soft-handed veteran pilot, who held his trotter together, wasn’t worried.

“There was enough room there, it was just a matter of steering through. Once he got through, it was pretty easy, and he had trot to spare at the wire.”

Getting through with a sixteenth of a mile to go and forging to the lead while under no urging, Eweburn Sun N would win ($3.00) by one length, in 1:55.2, a lifetime best.

“It was a very nice race, and it certainly didn’t hurt him,” Plano finished.

Desperatehousewife, for the fourth straight start, finished in second, and Phipps (Lou Pena), who raced game while first-over, finished another 1-3/4 lengths back in third.

Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Thursday, June 14, continuing through Saturday. Post time on Thursday is at 5:35 p.m. (PDT). Post time on Fridays and Saturdays is now at 6:15 p.m. On Thursday, Cal-Expo offers Fiesta Thursdays, in which fans can enjoy $2.00 frozen margaritas and tacos!

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