by Scott Ehrlich, publicity department, Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — He never saw the inside, but that still didn’t prevent Final Choice from getting back on the winning track in a strong way.

Claiming handicap trotters, in to be claimed from $15,000 to $20,000, were featured for a $6,300 purse on Thursday night (April 3) at Cal-Expo, on which Final Choice made it four wins in his last five.

Prior to starting from post position five in the field of six, a confident Gilbert Herrera, who owns and trains the 7-year-old, wasn’t quite sure of his strategy despite having left with his charge in their last six outings.

“I thought he had a pretty good chance, but I wanted to see what everybody was going to do,” said Herrera. “Then, when no one left, but everybody floated, I decided to leave.”

Leaving and racing four-wide until being second-over after an eighth of a mile, Herrera would elect to bypass a five hole 3-16ths of a mile after the start, into a :29.4 opening quarter.

“I had not used him at all and I chose to stay outside because I thought if Luke (Plano) with Jade’s Crown let Jess Or No (Ed Hensley) go, that Eddie would cut me loose for sure.”

As it turned out, Plano played hardball with Jess Or No while Final Choice remained second-over while now third by 1-1/2 lengths at the half-mile station, timed in :58.3.

“I was pretty pleased with where I was at the half and just wanted to stay there as long as I could.”

Continuing to get a great view of an ongoing dispute for the lead, Herrera would move his gelding three-wide past the middle of the final turn as the leaders were now at the three-quarter pole in 1:27.3.

Final Choice was just about ready to take over second when Jade’s Crown made a break, all while Herrera was now very confident.

“I thought I had a very, very good chance at that point to win because Jess Or No had been working all the way and I had been tracking him and chilling.”

Left first-over very late in the final turn, Final Choice would quickly take over the lead into the stretch and would open up at the seven-eighths-mile pole.

“When he took the lead, he was on idle.”

Urged some at mid-stretch and expanding his lead even more, then under very light urging late, there would be no catching Final Choice as he’d pull away to defeat ($4.80) his foes by 5-1/4 lengths in 1:56.4, thus recording his 38th career win. Jess Or No raced his heart out, but had to settle for second, and Easter Call (Lou Pena) finished another 1-1/4 lengths farther back in third.

“He raced very good and did it all pretty easily,” Herrera finished.

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Friday (April 4) and Saturday (April 5). Post time on both nights is at 5:55 p.m. (PDT). 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.

The Pick-Six at Cal-Expo is now a $1 wager.