by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — He was blocked three starts back, and his cover didn’t get him as close as needed in his last two, so with a change in strategy, Oatmeister proved too tough.

Sacramento’s warmest day of the year so far (Thursday, April 26) , which featured an 87 degree high, also saw Invitational handicap trotters compete for a $7,900 purse at Cal-Expo, in which little Oatmeister strutted his stuff.

Prior to drawing post position six in a field of the same number, trainer and driver Ed Hensley knew what it was going to take to win.

“He has been racing pretty good, but he has been having bad luck as the cover flow in his last couple of starts hasn’t taken him up as much I would have liked for it,” said Hensley. “So tonight, thinking there wasn’t going to be much of a flow, I had him on the gate just in case there weren’t many leavers — with the plans of leaving. I know he’s one of the best ones in there, we just needed a little luck for a win.”

Leaving off the gate and racing three wide for just less than an eighth of a mile while joined in the early hunt by Phipps (Lou Pena) and Iverman (Rocky Stidham), Oatmeister, while alone on the rim, would not obtain the lead until after 5-16ths of a mile, all off of a :29.4 opening quarter.

“Even though I got parked for a ways, it was an easy lead despite the fact that we ended up going a :28.1 second quarter — because he felt good doing it.”

Reaching the half-mile pole, timed in :58, Hensley, despite the half-mile time, was okay with how things were going.

“The :58 first half and :28.1 second quarter were probably a little faster than I wanted it to be after the slow first quarter, but he did it pretty handily and he still felt pretty strong.”

With the field now on the final turn, Hensley, at the five-eighths-mile pole, would give his charge a whip-tap while taking a quick peek back, all with strategy on his mind.

“I know Phipps, who was on my back, doesn’t trot the turns great — so I just wanted to get a little margin on him. When I looked back, I wasn’t looking for anyone specifically, I just wanted to see if anyone was coming. Midway through the turn I asked him for some more, and he responded.”

Starting to expand his lead to two lengths at the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:27, Hensley had every reason to be quite optimistic.

“He still felt very good and was trotting strongly. I thought it was going to take a pretty good horse to get by him.”

Under some urging to the seven-eighths-mile pole, and then not urged too strongly after that, Oatmeister would never let his foes get too close.

“They were catching up to him at the end, but he finished very well and I knew he was a winner with an eighth of a mile to go.”

Owned by the partnership of Jessica Hensley and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Oatmeister would nicely hold firm to win by one length in a seasonal best time of 1:55.2, all while trotting his final three-quarters of a mile in a nice 1:25.3. Phipps finished in second, and Iverman was another three-quarters of a length farther back in third.

“He was very impressive,” Hensley concluded.

Another trotter on the card that brought attention to himself was the ageless gelding I’m Dam Goog. Making his 299th career start, the Gregg Pistochini-owned 12-year-old was a pocket-rocket winner in a seasonal best time of 1:57.3, his 92nd career triumph. The 92 wins go along with 68 seconds and 36 thirds. Career earnings for the son of Googie are now at $629,496.

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Friday, April 27, and continue through Saturday. Post time each night is at 5:35 p.m. (PDT). On Friday, the estimated pool in the Pick 5 is $12,500! Also on Friday, Cal-Expo offers happy hour between 5:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m., where $1 beer, $2 wine & 25 cent buffalo wings are offered.

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