He was upset in his last, but with the return of his regular pilot, Easter Call got back on the winning track

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Open 1 Handicap trotters, racing for a $6,100 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on Friday night, in which Easter Call was too tough.

Starting from post position five in the field of six, Easter Call's luck was already on his side before the starter yelled 'go.'

"I saw that Putoneonnetformom wasn't on the gate, which was good for me because I thought the horse was a very solid contender," said Lackey.

With Putoneonnetformom (Rocky Stidham), who was gunning for his third-in-a-row, having eliminated himself by being well off the gate as a result of switching over to the pace, Lackey sent his gelding to the front, but didn't obtain the lead until just before the field had traveled 3/16ths of a mile. Did Lackey use his trotter into a fast :28.1 first-quarter?

"It was downwind and it seemed like he was kind of trotting like he usually does, but I was a little surprised when the time came up that much and it did concern me some."

Getting a :30.4 second-quarter breather into a headwind, the nine-year-old reached the half-mile juncture, timed in :59.

"It was a similar mile to what he did when I last drove him in his April 8 qualifier where he seemed to give himself a rest in the second quarter. As a result I thought he might be alright."

Chasing after his charge a little past the five-eighths mile pole, Lackey had good reason.

"I didn't want him to fall completely asleep as I was just trying to keep him alert."

Responding to being asked and starting to get revved up to the midway point of the final-turn, Lackey, at the three-quarter mile marker, timed in 1:29.1, was expecting good things off a 1:01 middle half.

"I knew that usually when he comes off the corner that he picks it up a little bit."

Now in the lane and drawing clear to the seven-eighths mile pole under urging, Lackey went to harder work.

"He didn't feel as strong in the stretch as he did in the April 8 qualifier, but he seemed to be holding them off at that point. So at that point I tried to keep after him."

Never letting his foes get close to catching him, the Mark Anderson owned and trained pupil won ($2.80) by two-lengths in 1:57.4, equaling a seasonal mark while notching his 36th career triumph. The pocket-sitting Jam And Jelly (Luke Plano) finished in second, and Ailenes Prince (Steve Wiseman) finished another 3-1/2-lengths farther back, in third.

"It was a solid race for a veteran horse," finished Lackey.

On the Friday night card, leading driver Luke Plano had five winners.

(Cal-Expo)