from Harness Publicists across North America

Sunday’s (November 22) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Cal-Expo and Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.

Wire comes up just in time for Cherry Tree Luke

Sacramento, CA — The distance of the race being a mile, not a mile and an inch, worked out very well for Cherry Tree Luke. Open Handicap Trotters, racing for an $8,000 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on Sunday night, in which Cherry Tree Luke barely recorded his 44th career victory.

Coming away in fifth position from post five in the field of six, trainer Rick Plano’s hand was forced at the 5-16ths pole after a :29.3 opening quarter.

“There was no choice but to pull when I did because they were just going too slow,” stated Plano. “If I didn’t do something, I wouldn’t have been able to have given my horse a good chance to win.”

Moving nicely at the three-eighths-mile marker for the front, the 9-year-old cleared to the lead past the half-mile pole, timed in 1:00.1. Now getting final turn pressure from TV Mom (Lemoyne Svendsen) who was at the neck of Cherry Tree Luke at the three-quarter station, timed in 1:29.3, Plano showed confidence.

“I was never worried about TV Mom because I know my horse — he’s relentless — he won’t let a horse pass him when he’s on the lead.”

Popping the earplugs of his charge at the head of the lane while still in a fight with the always-tough TV Mom, Plano knew things were still good.

“When you pop the earplugs on him, he’ll go enough to hold whoever is out there at bay — which happened to be TV Mom.”

With the field now an eighth of a mile from home, Cherry Tree Luke had a new challenger named Calzone (Rich Wojcio), who was closing with authority. There was one problem, however.

“I didn’t see Calzone flying until the end, but I didn’t have time to get concerned because by the time I saw him, we were only 30 yards from the wire. That’s when I started to drive on my horse a little to do what I had to do to win.”

Under urging in very deep-stretch and responding, but while Calzone kept gaining, the wire came up and made Cherry Tree Luke a winner ($6.20) by a desperate nose. Owned by Michael Lugar, Cherry Tree Luke stopped the timer at 1:58. The up and coming Calzone just missed while finishing in second, and TV Mom finished just three-quarters of a length farther back in third.

“It was a good race for us and we were lucky to hold on and win because another step and Calzone gets me,” finished Plano.

— Scott Ehrlich

Gro tops open mares at Saratoga

Saratoga Springs, NY — Gro, with Dan Cappello, Jr. in the sulky, captured Sunday’s featured $16,000 Filly & Mare Open Pace at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.

Dave Oxford photo

Gro was a winner in 1:56.

Owned by Jerry P. and Frank Calcagni and trained by Frank Calcagni, the 6-year-old Pro Bono Best mare posted a winning time of 1:56. Gro defeated Elusive Prey (Chris Long) by two lengths, with Up Front Bethann (Kim Crawford) third.

The victory was the seventh of the year for Gro in 28 trips to the post and improved her 2009 earnings to $101,920.

— Dave Oxford