by Scott Ehrlich, publicity department, Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — It was not only his third straight win and his 37th career victory, but most importantly, Final Choice pushed his career earnings over $200,000.

Claiming trotters, to be claimed for $20,000, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night (March 20), on which Final Choice started off the Spring in winning fashion.

Before starting from post position four in the field of seven, owner/trainer/driver Gilbert Herrera let the past performances of others play into his strategy, or so he thought.

“I figured that since Louie (Pena) likes to leave with Bangers And Mash N that I’d wait until he got to the front, then would make my move for the lead, but Louie didn’t leave and I was already committed to not leaving,” stated Herrera. “I did, however, see that Jade’s Crown (Luke Plano) left, so I gave him enough time to get to the front and that’s when I made my move.”

Not being asked to trot forward until the field had traveled an eighth of a mile, Final Choice would quickly move up for the lead, which he’d obtain well past the quarter-mile pole, timed in :29.3.

Reaching the half-mile station, timed in :59.1, Herrera was okay with how everything had worked out thus far.

“He was on idle to get the lead and I was content with the :59.1 first-half, plus he was feeling pretty good.”

With the slight favorite (6-5) Jess Or No (Ed Hensley) moving first-over to the 9-16ths marker, Herrera would employ sharp strategy, given the knowledge he had of his main foe.

“I know that Jess Or No doesn’t trot the turns too well, so I wanted to get away from him. I popped the earplugs past the five-eighths-mile pole and he trotted on a little and was ready to go.”

Opening up some past the five-eighths-mile pole after having a notch let out on him a sixteenth of a mile earlier, Final Choice would have a little luck work his way midway through the final turn when Jade’s Crown broke in the pocket.

“It helped me when Jade’s Crown broke because he not only took himself out of the race, but got in the way of others.”

Now on top by 2-3/4 lengths at the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:27.4, Herrera felt positive.

“I knew I still had a very good chance to win because Jess Or No wasn’t making up too much ground on me. I urged my horse mildly down the stretch because I never wanted Jess Or No to get too close and he never did.”

Summed up perfectly by Herrera, Final Choice would score ($5.20) by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:57. Jess Or No had his back-to-back win streak come to an end while finishing in second, and Howwilddoyawantme (Rick Plano) finished another three lengths back in third.

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Friday (March 21) and Saturday (March 22). Post time on Friday is at 6:20 p.m. (PDT). Post time on Saturday is at 6:10 p.m. On Friday, Cal-Expo offers Happy Hour between 6:00-8:00 p.m., where $1 beer, $2 wine and $3 orders of buffalo wings are offered.

The Pick-Six at Cal-Expo is now a $1 wager.