by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — He came charging out of the pocket last week like a missile, but a break shortly thereafter clearly cost him an easy open length win, but on this night, K D Rowdy One would atone for his miscue.

Conditioned and claiming trotters, in favor of the conditioned horses by a four to two margin, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night (January 31) for a purse of $6,000, in which K D Rowdy One was much the best.

Before starting from the outside in the field of a half-dozen, trainer/driver Rocky Stidham was uncertain as to how his charge would race.

“I was a little concerned after last week’s break because even though the track was sloppy like tonight — it was a much harder track — which he didn’t seem to like,” stated Stidham. “I, however, still wasn’t sure if it was the sloppy track or the hardness of the track that caused the break last week — which is why I was concerned tonight as the track was more of a sloppier track and I didn’t know whether that was the reason he broke last week.”

Firing out for the lead, which he’d obtain an eighth of a mile past the start, K D Rowdy One would cut out first half fractions of :30.4 and 1:02.1.

Receiving no pressure until midway through the final turn when British Columbia (Steve Hyman) offered a pretty strong challenge, K D Rowdy One would pick up the tempo to the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:32.1, then would be in full gear late in the final turn while opening up some.

“He felt comfortable turning for home and felt strong all the way through the wire.”

Getting a wheel-disc urge at the seven-eighths marker, K D Rowdy One, while urged very little from that point on, would easily hold firm by 1-3/4 lengths. Owned by Ben Kenney in partnership with Stidham, K D Rowdy One would score ($6.60) in 2:03.2. TV Mom (Lemoyne Svendsen) was a non-threatening second, and Final Choice (Gilbert Herrera) finished another 1-1/2 lengths farther back in third.

“He felt solid all the way through — I never really had a big doubt. Being that he’s up in this class and is a small horse racing in the slop, I thought it could all catch up to him. As it turns out though, he rebounded from last week and showed me he’s getting better and better,” Stidham concluded.

The owning triumph for both Kenney and Stidham started off an ownership double for the pair. On the Thursday night card, owner Jessica Hensley had an ownership grand slam, while her husband Ed had a training and driving four-bagger as well.

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Friday (February 1) and continue through Saturday (February 2). Post time both nights is at 6:00 p.m. (PST). 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.

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