by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — It was a dramatic stretch-drive and after a mile, the photo finish camera couldn’t split the top pair.

Open Handicap I pacers, racing for an $8,000 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on Saturday night (November 17), in which Art N Soul and D Jokerman shared the top honors.

For Art N Soul and driver Lemoyne “Mooney” Svendsen, they would come away in fourth while D Jokerman and Steve Wiseman would come away in last (sixth) into a :27 first quarter. This while the 4-5 favorite Biggest Big Bertha (Ed Hensley) was having to work for a tough three-eighths of a mile lead into a :55.4 first half.

With the first to pull being D Jokerman at the half-mile marker, this would flush out Art N Soul with 7-16ths of a mile to go. Now with Art N Soul moving up uncovered on the rim, the pair would find themselves 1-1/2 and 3-1/4 lengths off the lead, respectively, at the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:24.3.

With heads now turned for home and D Jokerman three-wide for the drive, Art N Soul would take over the lead to the seven-eighths pole while D Jokerman was getting closer and closer as the two pacers would slug it out while wheel to wheel.

As the field reached deep stretch, D Jokerman would actually put a nose in front, but a game Art N Soul dug down deep.

“He got passed late, but he wouldn’t have any of that and came back,” said Svendsen.

In the end, the two pacers finished on equal terms for the win while the connections of Art N Soul had to wait out a steward’s inquiry for possible deep stretch interference to D Jokerman.

“Our arches were rubbing down the stretch, but I thought it was a fair decision not to disqualify Art N Soul. Both horses raced their hearts out and both deserved to win,” said Wiseman.

Art N Soul, a Nate Kemp owned and trained 3-year-old gelding, paced to a lifetime best of 1:52.4. The Maurice Sigmon owned and George Reider trained D Jokerman notched his 14th victory of the season. Mad River Hanover (Gilbert Herrera) was just three-quarters of a length back in third.

In an Open Handicap II pace for a purse of $6,000, Keystone Eli dropped down in class to get the win. Owned by Hei Mitchell and trained by Bob Johnson, the Rick Kuebler driven 4-year-old would win ($5.40) by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:53.4. Something New (Rick Plano) shook loose too late and finished in second, and Derek Bromac N (Gilbert Herrera) finished another three-quarters of a length farther back in third.

Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Wednesday (November 21). Post time for a special 14-race card is at 5:35 p.m. (PST). On Wednesday, fans can wager into the $25,000 guaranteed Bal-Cal Pick 4 Challenge. Also on Wednesday, admission is free, plus Cal-Expo offers a complete lasagna dinner, with salad and bread, for just $3.00.