by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — She entered her biggest purse race of her young career fresh off two straight track record miles, and although she didn’t set another track record, Reno Rose dominated again.

Freshman filly pacers, racing for $22,500 in a California Sires Stake, met up on Friday (September 8) at Cal-Expo Raceway to start off a very abbreviated race week, where Reno Rose made it four in a row in as many career starts.

Prior to starting from post position six in the field of nine, driver Jim Lackey was well aware of how strong his chances were.

“Obviously, given how she has raced, she had as good a shot as any,” said Lackey. “It was pretty clear, strategy wise, that I had to head off the gate early, all the while trying to be a little bit careful in the first turn because the track was a little loose.”

Looped out of the gate by Makin’ A Splash (Rocky Stidham) while tucking in second an eighth of a mile past the start, Lackey wasn’t concerned.

“The filly has been pretty hot, and I didn’t want to race her out of the gate, plus, as I mentioned, the track surface was loose.”

Out and moving just before the first three-sixteenth of a mile had been raced, Reno Rose found herself a head back of the lead and brushing forward at the quarter-mile pole, timed in :28.4.

“It looked like Rocky (Stidham) and Makin’ A Splash were willing to accept cover, plus my filly has been racing on the lead. So at that point, I was just putting her in a position where her chances were best, with the rest being up to her.”

Despite not clearing to the lead until past the five-sixteenth-mile pole, Lackey wasn’t concerned with having exerted energy from his charge.

“It didn’t feel like I had to use her excessively.”

Reaching the half-mile pole, timed in :57.2, Lackey pointed out that weather conditions played a role in the first half-mile time.

“Given that the wind was at her back, the half-mile time was probably faster than the effort it took to get there.”

While approaching the three-quarter-mile pole, timed in 1:26.4, after being unchallenged in the third quarter, Lackey untucked his whip.

“She paced the third quarter fine, but seemed to be a little tired to the three-quarter-mile pole, but I thought everybody had to be a little tired if she was. Plus I still felt good about her chances because she was on the lead and I knew she was going to fight all the way. With the headwind in the stretch, and the track being tiring, I took the whip out to the three-quarter-mile pole to keep her to her task, as she’s still a young horse. Plus she was a little bit relaxed at that point, which was better, but also, at that point, you want to remind her that there’s still more work left.”

With Reno Rose leading the field into the stretch, Lackey popped the earplugs of his young star, while at the same time urging her to go on.

“I urged her a couple of times pretty good and could feel that her effort level increased despite the fact that you could tell that we weren’t going a :28 final quarter because of the headwind and the track not being as fast as it had been. Late in the race, she seemed to be doing her best work and I didn’t have to drive her late; I just tapped her to keep her alert.”

Bred and owned by Bob and Loretta Staats, the Bob Johnson trained lass opened up her lead in the final sixteenth of a mile to win by four and one-quarter lengths, stopping the timer at 1:56.2. Waiting Wickedly (Bruce Clarke) closed quickly to the wire to just get up for second, and Party Line (Ed Hensley) was just another neck back in third.

“It was a very good effort by a very good filly. She was solid last week and solid again tonight, which isn’t easy for a young horse, as they usually don’t come back with that type of effort week after week.”

The victory for Lackey was the first of four consecutive driving wins. For trainer Bob Johnson, the victory was the second of a training triple.

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Saturday. Post time will be at 6:20 p.m. On Saturday, Cal-Expo will offer Dollar Night, on which hot dogs, beer, soda and wine will be sold for one dollar each.

Guaranteed Late Pick-4 pool every Friday and Saturday

Sacramento Harness Association at Cal-Expo continues to offer a $20,000 (guar.) Late Pick-4 pool every Friday and Saturday, on races seven through 10.