by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — He was assigned the outside post, but it didn’t matter, as Keystone Eli dominated his opponents.

Open Handicap l pacers, racing for a $9,000 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on Saturday night (June 30), in which Keystone Eli won his fourth in a row.

In advance of starting from his assigned post position five in the field of the same number, driver Rick Kuebler stated the obvious.

“Off his recent form, I knew he was going to be the favorite and I felt his chances were very good,” said Kuebler. “From the outside, all strategy options were open — it was just a matter of who I perceived was going to be leaving out of there. At the start, I only saw Rick (Plano) leaving with Pacing Artist, so I decided to leave and was able to out-foot to the first turn.”

Firing out and quickly obtaining the lead as the field had entered the turn, Kuebler wanted to make sure that the fractions were to his liking.

“We were going pretty good the first eighth of a mile and once we made the front, I took a nominal hold of him.”

Reaching the quarter-mile pole, timed in :28, Kuebler achieved what he wanted from the opening panel.

“I thought the first quarter was just right for him and not too extensive, but enough for an honest pace. After setting the fraction that I wanted, I thought his chances continued to be very good.”

With horses racing in single-file order, Keystone Eli would pace a :28.3 wind-aided second quarter while reaching the half-mile marker, timed in :56.3.

“With no one challenging him, he was comfortable going and strong in the second quarter. I thought if I could set that kind of clip without a challenge to the five-eighths-mile pole, I could let him loose and have him pace on from there. With nobody coming and him being able to dictate the pace to his liking, I thought his chances were now excellent.”

Starting to open up a bit approaching the three-quarter-mile pole, Kuebler pointed out that his charge knew exactly what was soon to be expected of him.

“He starts to realize at the three-quarter-mile pole that the stretch is coming up and he starts to grab on to the bit.”

Remaining unpressured and now at the three-quarter-mile station, timed in 1:24.4, Kuebler knew the best was yet to come.

“The fractions made no difference because he was just starting to hit his gear. At that point I thought he’d be tough to overhaul from there.”

Opening up more with less than 3-16ths of a mile to go and given an urge before having his earplugs popped at the seven-eighth-mile pole, it was all over but the shouting.

“I pulled the plugs just to keep him honest and he kept going at a top clip all the way through the wire.”

Owned by Hei Mitchell and trained by Bob Johnson, Keystone Eli would win by 2-3/4 lengths, in 1:52.3. Pacing Artist (Rick Plano) finished in second, and Latino Hall (Jim Lackey) finished just a neck farther back in third.

The training victory for Johnson was the first of three wins on the card.

“He has raced a string of impressive races and this one was much the same as the others,” Kuebler finished.

In a $7,000 Open Handicap ll pace, Casimir Dow Jones was a game first-over winner.

Owned by Peggy Wakefield and Lori Wheeler, the Mike Magri trained gelding would score for driver Lemoyne “Mooney” Svendsen by one length, in 1:53.4. Little Stevie (Rick Kuebler) finished in second, and The Pand Illusion (Rick Plano) finished a neck farther back in third.

In honor of Independence Day, Cal-Expo will be dark on Wednesday, July 4. Live racing resumes on Thursday, July 5, continuing through Saturday. Post time on Thursday is at 5:35 p.m. (PDT). Post time on Friday and Saturday is at 6:15 p.m. On Thursday, Cal-Expo offers Fiesta Thursdays, in which fans can enjoy $2.00 frozen margaritas and tacos!

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