A great middle-half rating after a fast opening quarter in a needed mile paved the way to victory for Easter Call

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Open Handicap trotters, racing for a $6,100 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on Friday night, June 4, on which Easter Call got the hat-trick.

Assigned the outside in the field of five, was driver James Kennedy concerned that his charge hadn't raced in four weeks?

"Even though trainer Mark Anderson never told me anything, I wasn't concerned about the layoff because I know that Mark's horses are always pretty sharp and tight off a layoff," stated Kennedy. "I, however, was nervous about the drive because I had never driven a horse that was a 1-2 morning-line."

Leaving and racing three-wide for the first eighth of a mile, Easter Call, as a result of getting pushed by Shelias Dream (Luke Plano), wouldn't clear to the lead until well after the field had traveled 3/16ths of a mile into a sizzling :27.3. Surely the lead for the nine-year-old had to be tough, or was it?

"It didn't seem like it was too tough because he kind of floated around Sheilas Dream and got there on his own so I wasn't concerned."

With the field now 5/16ths of a mile into the race, Easter Call, despite Kennedy taking a hold of his trotter in the second-quarter, was left with a three-length lead as a result of a miscue by Shelias Dream to the 5/16ths mile marker.

"I wasn't aware that Sheilas Dream had made a break until after the 5/16ths pole and that did allow me to slow the pace down a little bit more."

Left alone to trot a :30.1 second-quarter, Kennedy, at the half-mile juncture, was far from preparing for a winner's circle photograph.

"I was a little worried despite the second-quarter breather because I didn't know if the horse was up to the :57.4 first-half off the layoff."

Continuing to be rated through a :30.2 third-quarter breather, Kennedy certainly had to be feeling better at the three-quarter mile marker, timed in 1:28.1.

"Off the nice and slow 1:00.3 middle-half, I figured I'd pop the earplugs at the three-quarters and start to try and scoot away."

Drawing clear in the upper-stretch and under intermittent wheel-disc urging from the seven-eighths mile pole on, there'd be no catching of the gelding.

"He responded when I popped the earplugs for about an eighth of a mile, but then got leg weary late, but despite that he kept trying and digging in and we held on for the win."

Debuting for owner Debbie McCarthy in partnership with trainer Mark Anderson, Easter Call won ($2.80) by one-length, in 1:59, thus recording his 38th career victory. Jess Or No (Jim Lackey) was a nice first-over second, and Ailenes Prince (John Chappell) finished another three-lengths farther back, in third.

"It was a pretty challenging race for me that I learned from. As for Easter Call, he raced excellent," finished Kennedy.

(Cal Expo)