Television Star shines bright at Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Conditioned pacers were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night, in which Television Star gave his foes no chance after getting his own way.

Letting out a notch on his charge midway through the final turn, trainer/driver Rick Plano had no reason not to be optimistic while on top by one length at the three-quarter pole, timed in a soft 1:31.3.

“He was pacing pretty strong at that point and I thought he was going to get home.”

Drifting out a harmless path at the head of the stretch, the gelding stretched his lead to 1-3/4 lengths with an eighth of a mile to go.

“Halfway down the stretch he was pacing pretty fast and I figured with the caliber of horse that he is that they weren’t going to catch him from anywhere behind me — especially when you’re coming home in :27.2.”

Now under some urging in the final sixteenth of a mile when Red Star Ruffles (Sue Boyce) was closing, the 4-year-old went on and wasn’t going to be caught. Bred and owned by the partnership of Alan Kirschenbaum and Sheldon Perry, Television Power won ($3.80) by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:59. Red Star Ruffles was a good second and Cycle Power finished another quarter-length farther back in third.

“It was a good race for him because he won,” finished Plano.

— Scott Ehrlich