Victories by Pismo Beach and Vari Forgetful gave driver Bruce Clarke and trainer Bob Johnson a nice Friday night (November 4) daily double in a pair of $15,000 California Sires Stakes at Cal Expo
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In the division for the pacers, did Post 6 with Pismo Beach in the field of the same number concern Clarke?
"No, I was impressed with the filly the first time I drove her back on October 28 in a Sires Stakes," said Clarke. "I thought she could win."
Leaving and racing three-wide until two-wide into the first turn, Clarke had an issue to deal with.
"She got a little bumpy about halfway in the first turn and I had to steady her and it concerned me because I had to hope she would come out of it."
Losing any momentum she had and not in sync, Pismo Beach was parked fourth at the quarter-mile pole (:29.2) while not going forward or backward. But Clarke finally got his youngster to put her mind on business.
"Once I came out of the turn she smoothened out and I knew I wasn't getting a hole, so I let her pace to the front."
Starting to pick up speed to the 5/16ths mile pole and even better at the three-eighths mile marker, the daughter of Hi Ho Silverheels got the lead after three-eighths of a mile. What it a tough lead?
"No, I thought she paced strong to the front and I was very comfortable with her."
Controlling the tempo once on the lead into a :59.4 first half, Clarke soon had good reason to chase after his charge a little from past the five-eighths mile station and on.
"I saw Littlest Mermaid [and driver Luke Plano] coming first-up and I wasn't letting her go because my filly still felt very comfortable at that point. I tapped her because I wanted to keep her interest in the race and to make sure she wouldn't let anybody go. Even though I was chasing after her on the turn, I wasn't really worried because she was doing it on her own."
Reaching the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:30, Clarke had to deal with the pocket-pulling Twentyone Guns (Lemoyne Svendsen), or did he?
"I still wasn't really concerned at that point because I knew I had horse left."
Maintaining about a one-length lead with an eighth of a mile to go, was Clarke aware that Little Anna Mae (Scott Cisco) was weaving for racing room behind him?
"I knew someone behind me was trying to squeeze up the inside, but I wasn't concerned because that wasn't going to happen -- I was never letting her through. If she was going to beat me, she was going to have to go around me."
Now under moderate urging in the last sixteenth of a mile, the youngster held on to win ($6) by a long neck.
"Even thought I would say she had to last, I don't think she was really done, she's just very green."
Bred and owned by Wayne and Rod Knittle, the Bob Johnson-trained lass stopped the timer at 1:59.1, establishing a lifetime mark. The Bob Johnson-trained Twentyone Guns finished in second, and Little Anna Mae finished a blocked with contained pace third, 1-3/4 lengths farther back.
"Wayne and Rod Knittle have always raced nice horses ever since I've been driving for them. Their filly raced very good," finished Clarke.
In the division for the trotters, held prior to the wagering card in a non-wagering two-horse event, Vari Forgetful never had competition. Getting an easy lead from Post 2 with almost a sixteenth of a mile advantage as a result of Silverlode (Steve Desomer) breaking well behind the gate, Clarke and his filly cut out fractions of :31.2, 1:04.1 and 1:35.2 before trotting a nice :28.3 final-quarter into a 2:04 winning mile. Silverlode, who actually nicely made up ground in the middle half, broke at the head of lane and finished 134 lengths behind the winner.
Bred and owned by Jack Coffey and trained by Bob Johnson, the daughter of Armbro Variable recorded her third straight win (second winning by over 100 lengths), all in Sires Stakes.
On the 14-race card, trainer Bob Johnson conditioned five winners, while drivers Lemoyne Svendsen and Steve Wiseman each had a grand slam.
(With files from Cal Expo)