by Scott Ehrlich, publicity director, Sacramento Harness Association

Sacramento, CA — She had been racing well, but simply couldn’t beat her two main rivals in her last three, but Simply Made finally got her just due.

The best trotters on the grounds at Cal-Expo hooked up on Friday night (January 11) in an $8,000 Open 1 Handicap Trot, in which Simply Made had things work to her advantage.

Before starting from post position three in the field of five, trainer/driver Ed Hensley contemplated a change in strategy.

“I thought I could win, but I wasn’t sure what I was going to do because I had been leaving with her every week,” said Hensley. “So I thought about ducking her.”

With the field sent on their way, Hensley, in fact, was ducking his mare, or was he?

“As I said, I wasn’t really going to leave, but when I saw Ohoka Jasper N (Rick Plano) was off the gate, I decided to leave.”

Not clearing to the front until the quarter-mile pole, timed in :28.2, was the lead for Hensley’s mare as testy as it looked?

“That was a pretty good quarter, but she actually did it ok.”

Yielding to the three-eighths-mile pole to Desperatehousewife (Todd Ratchford), Simply Made would find herself sitting a tight pocket, while third, at the half-mile marker, timed in :58.4, all while a first-over Ohoka Jasper N was now attacking Desperatehousewife.

“I was liking it when my two main foes were dueling — especially at the half.”

Remaining in the pocket until moving second-over past the middle of the final turn, Hensley supported his decision to vacate the pocket.

“I just wanted to make sure I gave her a chance and didn’t want to take any chances of getting locked in.”

Now just two lengths off the lead at the three-quarter station, timed in 1:27.3, Hensley was cautiously optimistic.

“I thought I had a chance, but I didn’t think I was a cinch.”

Moving three-wide with less than 3-16ths of a mile, Simply Made would gain willingly.

“With a sixteenth of a mile to go, when Ohoka Jasper N ran, I knew I was a winner then because I could see I had more trot than Desperatehousewife.”

Surging late to just get up at the wire by three-quarters of a length, the Jessica Hensley and Gregg Pistochini owned 9-year-old would stop the timer at 1:56.4 for her 25th career triumph. Desperatehousewife, while game as always, finished in second, and Four Starzzz Hall (Lou Pena) finished another 2-1/4 lengths back in third.

“The race shaped up better than I expected, and she came through,” finished Hensley, who had a driving triple.

Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Saturday (January 12) and continue through Sunday (January 13). Post time on Saturday is at 6:20 p.m. (PST). Post time on Sunday is 5:35 p.m. On Saturday at Cal-Expo, it’s dollar night, on which hot dogs, beer, soda, and wine will be sold for one dollar each.

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