by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — It was the Bob Gordon Pacing Series Final, and as luck would have it, connections close to the recently departed horseman won the race that honored his memory.

A field of eight pacers met up on Saturday night (Feb. 24) at Cal-Expo in a quest for the winner’s share of the $25,700 featured purse, in which Nemisis N threaded a tight needle late to score.

Before starting from post position two, driver Bruce Clarke spoke with high regard for the New Zealand bred.

“Going into the race, after the way he has been racing since he came to the United States, I thought he was the best horse in the race,” said Clarke. “The strategy was to float out and put him on the front end.”

Floating out as planned, Nemisis N found himself parked with early cover in the first turn, until being left alone on the rim after 3-16th of a mile. By the time the field had reached the quarter-mile pole, timed in :29.2, Nemisis N was just three parts of a length off the lead, while racing in second and moving up. The lead, however, wouldn’t be obtained until the three-eighths-mile pole, as the pace-setting Little Walter (Gilbert Herrera) pushed the pace. Despite the length of time it took to get the lead, Clarke wasn’t concerned.

“Even though we’d end up going a :27.1 second quarter, I never really used him. He’s pretty green, so I didn’t want to fire him up early. Once he made the front, he grabbed right on.”

No sooner did Nemisis N make the lead, he would receive immediate pressure from Ivegotwhatuneed (Jim Lackey), who was brushing up quickly. As a result, Clarke yielded for the pocket to the half-mile pole, timed in :56.3.

“I really didn’t want to yield because my horse was loaded, but I chose to, out of respect for Bob Johnson, who not only trains Nemisis N, but also trains Ivegotwhatuneed.”

Midway through the final turn, Nemisis N, while locked in, would gap some, or so it appeared. Clarke, however, as it turns out, was playing possum.

“I was taking a hold of him, hoping that Lackey would think I was done, with the hopes that he would then drive off with his horse. If he did go on, I would then ask my horse to go back on, then scoot out of the hole.”

Racing two lengths off the lead at the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:25, Clarke now had some concerns, as Lackey had not taken the bait.

“I had so much horse, but I was worried I wouldn’t get out of the hole.”

Racing back up to Lackey’s back to the seven-eighths-mile pole, but while still blocked, Clarke knew there was only one place he could go.

“I knew Gilbert (Herrera), who was on my outside with Little Walter, wasn’t moving over. So, I took the shot and went up the inside. It had started to get muddy and it was hard to see and I knew it was going to be close, but I just had to take the shot.”

Squeezing through the inside while clipping pylons in the final sixteenth of a mile, Clarke now knew the race was his.

“I knew I had it won as soon as I got up the inside. As a matter of fact, I hardly ever gave him his head, and never popped his earplugs.”

Narrowly finding room, Nemisis N would win easily by a neck, but after having to survive a steward’s inquiry for possible violation of the pylon rule. Owned by Bob and Loretta Staats, and trained by Bob Johnson, the 6 year-old stopped the timer at 1:53.2, a lifetime best.

“He raced outstanding. I’d have to say he’s the best horse I’ve ever sat behind. It was also great to win a race named after Bob Gordon. I drove horses for Bob. He was a fine horseman, and a fine man,” Clarke finished.

In addition to Clarke, the win for the connections had also special meaning. The Staats, longtime owners in the business, at one time had their horses trained by Gordon. Additionally, Bob Johnson would train Gordon-owned horses in recent years, until the untimely passing of Gordon in the summer of 2006.

“There was no doubt that Bobby (Gordon) had to be watching the race because when Nemisis N tried to get through on the inside, Bobby was pushing those pylons over so Nemisis N wouldn’t go inside of them. I know after the race, he would have said, ‘Darn, that was a good job,'” Johnson smiled.

Joining Chris Gordon and her daughters (Abby and Bree) in the winner’s circle were longtime family friends, Bob and Vivian Farrington, as well as Lloyd Arnold. Bob Farrington, a member of the Living Hall of Fame, is perhaps best known for training and driving the great Rambling Willie, who Gordon would train when the Hall of Fame pacer would race on the west coast. Arnold, also connected over the years with Gordon, worked closely with Gordon at Los Alamitos.

Ivegotwhatuneed, also trained by Johnson, finished in second, and Great Integrity (Ed Hensley) finished 2-1/4 lengths farther back in third.

Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Wednesday (Feb. 28), continuing through Saturday. Post time each night is at 5:35 p.m. On Wednesday, fans can wager into the $25,000 guaranteed Bal-Cal Pick 4 challenge. Additionally on Wednesdays, admission is free, plus Cal-Expo offers a complete Lasagna dinner, with salad and bread, for just $2.00.

Cal-Expo now offers guaranteed $10,000 pools on all Pick-4’s and the New Pick-5!