by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — The race pretty much looked the same as the previous week in which Eweburn Sun N figured to and did make an easy lead, and once again, he kept it.

Invitational Handicap trotters, racing for a $7,900 purse, were in the spotlight at Cal-Expo on Thursday night (May 17), in which Eweburn Sun N, once again, won as pleased.

In advance of drawing post position four in the field of five, owner and trainer Rick Plano had every reason to think a repeat triumph was in the cards.

“After last week’s win, the line-up looked basically the same to me and I thought my chances were very good,” said Plano. “There’s really not a lot of speed compared to my horse, so I figured if going to the front worked last week, I’d give it another try this week. As it turned out, I made the lead in three steps.”

Making the lead just before the field entered the first turn, Plano, for good reason, would open up the lead with his trotter by 2-1/2 lengths at the quarter-mile pole, timed in :29.4.

“I didn’t want anybody to try to make a move to the lead — I wanted to keep things lined up like last week. Additionally, he relaxes very well once he gets on the lead, so with nobody near him he stays relaxed. I felt at the quarter that if he didn’t make a mistake, that we’d be very good. And like last week, I planned to go faster in each quarter to keep everybody lined up for no moves to the front.”

Receiving no second quarter pressure, Plano would stick to his game plan as he would have his charge trot the second quarter in :29.2, while reaching the half-mile pole in :59.1, while now on a 1-3/4 length lead.

“In my opinion, it was totally a buggy ride from there with the only horse that I thought could beat me being Desperatehousewife (Gilbert Herrera), and she had five or six lengths to make up to do that.”

With the field now on the final turn, Plano had to deal with his horse being bumpy-gaited, more so than usual.

“Yes, he was bumpier in the final turn tonight than he was last week, but the track was a little bit loose and he touches one knee a little bit and it affects his gait. He, however, doesn’t really make breaks that often, so I just wanted to get him through the turn and when we hit the straightaway I knew it would help him.”

Leading by 2-1/4 lengths at the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:28.2, but with Desperatehousewife now brushing up, was Plano concerned?

“There’s always a concern when you see Desperatehousewife because she’s a very good mare, but I had gotten easy fractions with my horse and knew I had a lot left in the tank.”

Holding firm in the upper stretch, Plano, at the seven-eighth-mile pole, for the first time in two weeks with Eweburn Sun N, would untuck his whip.

“Desperatehousewife was closer this week than she was last week, but when I turned the whip around, my horse responded and I knew I was going to be able to hold Desperatehousewife at bay. He would be strong to the wire.”

Winning easily by 1-1/4 lengths, Eweburn Sun N would stop the timer at 1:57. Desperatehousewife finished in second, and Phipps (Lou Pena), who sat in the winner’s pocket, was another length back in third.

“It was a good race for the horse. It was pretty simple to just sit there and ride along,” Plano concluded.

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Friday (May 18) and continue through Saturday. Post time on Fridays and Saturdays is now at 6:15 p.m. (PDT). On Friday, Cal-Expo offers Happy Hour between 5:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m., where $1 beer, $2 wine & 25-cent buffalo wings are offered.

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