It was a good thing the race wasn't a mile and a yard, but the bottom line is Living It Up prevailed
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A field of five pacers, four in on a condition, and one in for a $20,000 claiming tag, were featured at Cal Expo on Saturday night (January 1), on which Living It Up, the only one eligible to be claimed, won and was claimed.
Firing out from post-four for trainer Rick Plano over a sloppy track, the pair dropped in second as the field entered the first-turn while two-lengths off the lead into a :28.3 opening panel.
Closing the gap at the 5-16ths mile pole as driver Rich Wojcio rated the pace-setting Nittany Linebacker through a :58.4 first-half, Plano sat chilly until popping the earplugs of his charge at the five-eighths mile station.
"I just wanted to get him up on the bit and get him ready for when he had to move and he responded," said Plano.
With the field now at the three-quarter mile marker, timed in 1:28.3, it appeared Living It Up had "go."
"He did have pace there and I thought my chances were good at that point."
On the move at the head of the lane, Plano soon went to work on his pacer at the seven-eighths mile pole and the six year-old responded and took over the lead at mid-stretch. Now with a sixteenth of a mile to go, Plano took a look back and saw Red Star Ruffles (Sue Boyce) flying, then while all-out with his pacer took another look back in deep-stretch and saw that Cycle Power (Steve Wiseman) was exploding.
"I wasn't really too much worried about Red Star Ruffles because I kind of had her at bay. But when I looked back again and saw that Cycle Power was coming as hard as he was and getting as close as he did - - I was not only kind of surprised, but I was also very concerned. As it turns out I was very lucky to win because one more step I more than likely would have lost."
Owned by Maryann Plano in partnership with Dave & Rob Hanass, Living It Up won ($3.80) by a wire saving nose in 1:57.3. Cycle Power just missed and had to settle for second, and Red Star Ruffles closed nicely to finish just one-length farther back, in third.
"He raced tremendous because none of my horses have done a lot since the holiday break and he was one of the few out of my barn that really fired," finished Plano.
Live harness racing resumes at Cal Expo on Thursday (January 6) and continues through Saturday (January 8). Post-time on Thursday is 5:30 p.m. (PST). Post-time on Friday (January 7) & Saturday is 6:00 p.m.
(Cal-Expo)