Filly and mare open handicap pacers, racing for a purse of $6,100 over a 'sloppy' track in the rain, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday, January 21 where Sintillating notched her 26th career win.

Before starting from Post 5 in the field of seven, did trainer Tim Maier let the rainy weather worry him?

"I wasn't concerned about the rain or the sloppy track because that family that she's from usually likes the off track," Maier noted. "My plans were to put her on the gate to pop her out of there and look for a seat."

Urged off the gate to leave for the three-hole, which she obtained just as the field entered the first-turn, Maier and his pupil found themselves in third position through first-half fractions of :28.3 and :58.4.

With the field three-eighths of a mile from home, was Maier worried when the pace-setting Biggest Big Bertha (driven by Rick Plano) opened up when asked?

"Even though Rick was trying to get daylight with his horse, I wasn't concerned and just figured I'd follow Reno Rose (Jim Lackey) until well into the stretch."

With Biggest Big Bertha's lead back down to one and a half lengths at the three-quarters, timed in 1:27.3, Sintillating found herself down a diminishing three and a quarter lengths back with a quarter of a mile to go. She was then second-over into the stretch, as she followed the pocket-pulling Reno Rose until moving three-wide with less than three sixteenths of a mile to go.

"I started chasing her to get her in motion, but I knew that she doesn't usually start getting going until the last sixteenth." With a sixteenth of a mile to go, Maier got the response he knew he'd get. "She kicked in like she always does and won handily."

Bred and owned by Alan Kirschenbaum and Denise Maier, the six-year-old charged into the lead at the wire to win ($9.00) by one length in 1:56. Biggest Big Bertha tried hard while completing exacta. Reno Rose finished just a neck father back, in third.

"It was a very good effort," Maier concluded.

Live racing continues at Cal-Expo on Friday (January 22) through Sunday (January 24). Post time on Friday is at 5:55 p.m. (PST). Post time on Saturday (January 23) is at 5:35 p.m. (PST). Post time on Sunday is at a special early post time of 5:00 p.m.

(Cal-Expo)