by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — He had raced sub-par in his last, which had his connections uncertain as to what to expect, but Frankthebrank rebounded to get all the cash.

Claiming handicap pacers, in to be claimed from $18,000 to $25,000, went at it in the $6,300 feature at Cal-Expo on Friday night (August 24), in which Frankthebank put his best foot forward.

In advance of starting from post position four in the field of six, driver Rich Wojcio had a valid reason not to be confident.

“If I went by what I thought from his race last week — then I didn’t think he could win,” said Wojcio. “The race looked pretty simple on paper as Little Walter (Gilbert Herrera) and my horse had speed, and possibly Hard On The Heart (Rick Plano). I really didn’t want to cut it — I was hoping to sit behind Little Walter and see what happened from there.”

Blasting out for the lead while the only leaver, Frankthebank would obtain the lead into the first turn, whereupon Wojcio would hit the brakes with a good reason in mind.

“I slowed the pace and took a look back midway through the turn with the hopes that Little Walter would come out for the lead, but he didn’t.”

Reaching the quarter-mile pole, timed in a very deliberate :30.1, Wojcio had to play the cards that were dealt to him.

“I knew we weren’t going that much because I got the lead very easily because nobody left. At that point, I was just hoping for the best.”

With the pace not yet picking up, this would prompt a pretty early second quarter move to the front by Hard On The Heart. Wojcio, however, wasn’t going to let the lead be that easy for his foe.

“I started my horse up just a little bit so that Hard On The Heart would be a little extended so that we would march a little bit more into the last turn.”

Yielding late in the second quarter, Frankthebank would now find himself in the pocket at the half-mile station, timed in :59.

“He felt good and strong, but the pace was slow, but I thought at that point that he’d be first or second.”

Under a solid grip in the final turn, Wojcio would tip his charge to the outside to the three-quarter-mile marker, timed in 1:27.1.

“A horse was coming on the outside, so I had to pull. If I took away last week’s race, than at the three-quarters I still thought he could be one-two. But again, because he didn’t race like I thought he would last week, I in turn didn’t know what to expect. I was just hoping he would collar Hard On The Heart without being asked because he’s not a brave horse.”

With the field now entering the stretch, Wojcio had a brief issue to deal with.

“Into the stretch, Hard On The Heart drifted out a little — which I kind of expected as he tends to do that. That kind of cost me a step because my horse likes to drift in a little bit.”

Under wheel-disc urging to the seven-eighths-mile pole, then under urging with less than an eighth of a mile to go, Frankthebank would take a slim lead for a now confident Wojcio.

“From the eighth pole on I knew he was home because I knew I had Hard On The Heart, plus my horse felt good.”

Edging away to the wire, Frankthebank would score ($16.20) by three-quarters of a length. Owned by Rick and Marlene Thomas, and trained by Bernie Wolin, Frankthebank would stop the timer at 1:54.1. Red Star Governor (Robley Johnson) finished in second, and Hewitt A (Jim Lackey) finished another three-quarters of a length back in third.

“It was an excellent effort. Hopefully he’s back to his old self,” Wojcio concluded.

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Saturday (August 25). Post time is at 6:30 p.m. (PDT).

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