The addition of the medication lasix what just what the doctor ordered for Franks Best
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A field of five Winners Over trotters were featured at Cal Expo on Friday night (September 23) for a purse of $4,500, in which Franks Best was an easier than it looks winner.
Lagging the gate a meaningless length, the four-year-old came away last into a :29.2 opening quarter, but driver Lemoyne Svendsen wasn't concerned.
"I was comfortable sitting where I was at because he was sitting back there nice and relaxed," said Svendsen. "This was a lot better than last week when I left and he was a wildman."
With the second-quarter pace going at the same moderate pace that the first-quarter was travelled, Svendsen and his charge were happy to move to second-over position at the 7/16ths mile pole when stablemate Giles L S Hanover (Steve Wiseman) provided live cover at the half-mile station, timed in :59.4.
"Everything was working out just fine and he felt real nice and was still very relaxed."
With Giles L S Hanover now bickering in the third-quarter with the pacesetting Putoneonnetformom (James Kennedy), this provided Franks Best with a perfect lead-up trip until Svendsen started to tip his four-year-old just to the three-quarter mile marker, timed in 1:29.
"He was just starting to kick into gear at the three-quarters and that's how he is when he's good. Then when I popped the earplugs past the three-quarters, he just found another gear and here he came."
Definitely rolling up with a lot of trot to the head of the lane, Svendsen had to deal with the fact that Putoneonnetformom drew clear into the stretch.
"I was still pretty comfortable even though Putoneonnetformom drew clear because my horse was still getting revved up."
Now gaining with every stride with less than an eighth of a mile to go on an all-out Putoneonnetformom, while Svendsen was sitting chilly, it was just a matter of time before Franks Best got back on the winning track.
"Frankie is a determined horse when he's coming down the stretch and his trainer Bob Johnson has taught him very well to be a winner -- as a result I knew I had Putoneonnetformom. He was determined to get there and I was just pretty much letting him do what he wanted to do while just giving him some light taps on his rump."
Wearing down a game Putoneonnetformom to the wire while hardly urged, Franks Best won ($4.80) by a head. Bred and owned by Johnson as well, the gelding stopped the timer at 1:58. Putoneonnetformom had to settle for second, and Alpine Hawk (Rich Wojcio) finished four lengths farther back, in third.
"Obviously I enjoyed the trip and I'm sure the first-time lasix had something to do with his performance in that he was much more relaxed and trotted right through the wire -- which he hadn't been doing recently -- even when he won. He raced excellent," finished Svendsen, who piloted four winners, all of which were owned and trained by the meet's leading trainer, the ageless Mr. Johnson.
(Cal Expo)