Conditioned claiming pacers were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday, May 6, a night on which Above Timberline stood tall.

In advance of starting from Post 3 in the six-horse field, trainer Troy Thomas had had enough.

"I had been taking him back a lot over the last couple of month and in all of those races the pace has been really slow, and that has been frustrating me and the horse," Thomas stated. "So tonight I decided to leave out of there with him and let him do what he can do. And even though I like him better off the pace, I thought he had a pretty good chance because I felt he was just as good or better than them because I think he has a lot of ability."

Leaving on a delay just before the field had traveled a sixteenth of a mile and racing a bit wide just in to the first turn, the seven-year-old Above Timberline was quickly back on course and assumed the lead after an eighth of a mile into a :29 opening quarter.

With the field now on the backside, Thomas had an interesting issue.

"Going up the backstretch he was actually acting like a green horse and just looking all over the place and waiting on horses. It, however, didn't concern me because he felt pretty strong."

Reaching the half-mile station, timed in 1:00, then getting shown the whip to the middle of the final-turn when the 3-5 favourite Cycle Power (driven by Steve Wiseman) started to make his move, Thomas still had to deal with his gelding not having his interests in priority at the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:29.4.

"He was still basically looking all over the place, almost like he was stargazing. He was looking at centrefield, as well as into the grandstand -- all because he's not used to being on the lead. But he still acted like he had plenty of pace and I still thought I had a chance to win."

Getting his earplugs popped just to the head of the lane with Cycle Power at his throatlatch, Above Timberline accelerated at the same time the public groaned.

"I looked over at the top of the stretch and saw Cycle Power broke and I knew that was going to help me a lot -- plus he scattered them a little bit. My horse, though, was actually pacing with Cycle Power when Cycle Power broke."

Drawing clear to the seven-eighths mile marker, but with Stanza (James Kennedy) now closing, was Thomas concerned?

"I wasn't worried when I saw Stanza coming because we didn't have that far to go."

Under urging and holding firm, the Sherry and Leroy Kirk-owned pacer won ($25.60) by two lengths, in 1:57.4, establishing a seasonal mark. Stanza finished in second, and Coal Younger (Luke Plano), who sat in the pocket to Above Timberline, could do no better than third, another two lengths back.

"I think he's 10 times better off the pace, but he did race really [well]. How I race him in the future will all depend on what type of class he's in because he's now out of this class," Thomas concluded.

Live racing continues at Cal-Expo on Friday, May 7 at 5:55 p.m. (PDT) and on Saturday, May 8 at 5:35 p.m.

(Cal-Expo)