He had to squint to see his opponents on the gate, but right now nothing is stopping Frankyluvsmeatbals from winning

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Open Handicap pacers, racing for a purse of $6,100 were featured at Cal-Expo on Saturday night (February 13), on which Frankyluvsmeatbals got the hat-trick.

In advance of being handicapped post-position nine in the field of the five, that's right five, was driver Luke Plano concerned about starting five slots from his next closest foe?

"I still thought my horse obviously had a good chance despite being handicapped the nine-hole," said Plano. "But I wasn't going to attempt to make the lead from out there."

Settling in last after an eighth of a mile, Plano wasted no time in moving the 1-5 favorite.

"I had him pretty started up going to the gate because I was chasing the gate. So once I caught the pack and with him on the muscle quite a bit - - I decided to move him to the top."

Out and moving 3-16ths of a mile past the start into a :28.3 first-quarter, Plano made the lead with his charge past the three-eighths mile station. Did he use his gelding while pacing a :27.4 second quarter?

"I used him a little bit, but not real hard and it wasn't threatening. At the half-mile pole (:57.1), I thought he was pretty comfortable."

Under a nice grip into the final-turn and wanting to go, Plano gradually kept taking a bigger hold of his pacer.

"He’s one of those horses that naturally wants to go in the third-quarter. I, however, was just trying to give him a little breather."

Still under a good hold at the three-quarter mile marker, timed in 1:26, there was no reason for Plano to be anything other than very optimistic.

"I thought I was in good shape at that point because my horse felt real strong."

Not pulling away in the stretch like he usually does, was this a bad sign?

"I know we didn't draw clear in the lane, but when we came off the turn I sort of hollered at him and he was giving me all he had and I thought he was pacing a pretty good quarter and still felt he'd be hard to catch off those numbers."

Not urged until the field was a sixteenth of a mile from the wire, Plano knew it was time.

"I saw Split Ticket (Steve Wiseman) up the inside gaining and I figured I better urge my horse to go on because we were going pretty good and I thought we could have been in danger. When I asked him - - he responded strongly."

Getting threatened late by Split Ticket who made it to his wheel, Frankyluvsmeatbals held firm and actually drew clear on the wire to win ($2.60) by 1-1/4-lengths. Owned by Maryann Plano and trained by her husband Rick, the five year-old stopped the timer at 1:53.1, thus recording his 20th victory in just 61 starts. Split Ticket finished in second, and Cowboy Hanover (Rick Plano) was just a neck back, in third.

"He's a very good horse that's in very good form. I thought he raced quite good," concluded the young Plano.

Live harness racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Thursday (February 18) and continues through Saturday (February 20). Post-time on Thursday is now scheduled for 5:00 p.m. (PST). Post-times on Friday & Saturday are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. On Thursday night, carryover in the Early Super High-5 (Race 3) is $4,404.85. Total estimated pool is $12,500.

(Cal-Expo)