by Mark Ratzky, publicity department, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — Frankthebank, who has been something of an ATM machine for owners Richard and Marlene Thomas and trainer Bernie Wolin since being claimed two years ago, gets the top billing in Thursday’s (August 30) main event at Cal-Expo.

The $6,300 contest is designed for pacers carrying base claiming prices of $25,000 down to $18,000 and a half-dozen are set for action.

Frankthebank, a 5-year-old son of Sportsmaster and the Incredible Finale mare Go Go Coco, has banked over $75,000 since being haltered for $10,500. He sports a 1:53.1 career standard and will, as usual, have Rich Wojcio at the controls.

The hard-knocking gelding established his mark when he won a starter allowance affair on July 14, sitting a pocket trip to the lane and then exploding in the stretch to romp home by nearly five lengths with Wojcio in the bike.

Frankthebank followed that sharp score with another tally at the same level, then had to settle for a pair of third-place finishes before stepping up to the Open 3 level for his August 18 outing, in which he got tired after being hard-used in the early stages.

Returning to this more comfortable league for last week’s tour, the Thomas color-bearer returned to his winning ways at 7-1 odds. He left strongly to the top, was covered up by the quarter, then responded when the question was asked in the stretch to prevail by three-quarters of a length while turning in a sizzling :26.4 final quarter.

“Rich and Marlene love this horse, and he’s the one who pays the bills for the lesser horses,” Wolin related. “He comes to play every time.”

Among those hoping to turn the tables on Frankthebank are Hewitt A, who was third in last week’s gathering as a well-backed 2-1 second choice. Mark Anderson owns and trains and Jim Lackey has a return assignment. This veteran won 12 times last season and has a half-dozen victories on his 2007 resume from 32 trips to the post.

His most recent win came in a 22-1 upset at the Open 3 level on August 3, as he did the track-and-attack to perfection for Lackey while coming home in :27 flat to seal the deal. He was first-over last week and weakened to be third, beaten 1-1/2 lengths.

Rooting for a Holme Town Girl

It looks as though Holme Town Girl is gearing up nicely for the big-money events for the 3-year-old pacing fillies that get underway in late October.

The Team Desomer homebred was knocking heads with a pretty tough customer in Sintillating when the last round of stakes events were being decided in the spring, then was given some time to recover.

Since returning to the wars for Vickie Desomer, the daughter of Tulane and the New Zealand mare Time For Holme N has turned in two solid miles. She was runner-up in a good tightener, then crushed her opposition by nearly nine lengths at most recent asking for Etienne Desomer while shattering her previous mark with the 1:54.4 clocking.

As you might guess, Vickie is quite happy with the way this bay miss has come back to the track.

“She was turned out to give her a spell,” her trainer noted. “If all goes well, she’ll be in the box regularly between now and the onset of the next round of stakes.”

It certainly appears as though Holme Town Girl has taken her game to a new place off last week’s eye-catching mile, which would make things very interesting when the big money is back on the line in the fall and Sintillating gets back to work.

On Wednesday night (August 29) at Cal-Expo, Rick Plano, Cal-Expo’s leading driver and trainer, was as hot as the 100 degree plus weather. Of his eight drives, Plano won six of them, which included winning the last four races on the card. Additionally, Plano trained four winners on the card.

Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Thursday (August 30), continuing through Saturday. Post time on Thursday is at 6:15 p.m. (PDT). Post time on Friday and Saturday is at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, Cal-Expo offers Fiesta Thursdays, in which fans can enjoy $2.00 tacos.

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