Luke Plano won the feature with Marlin Hanover, then proceeded later in the card to win six in a row, and seven of the last eight races, thus equalling a personal driving best record
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Winners-Over pacers were featured at Cal Expo on Saturday night (January 21) for a purse of $4,500, in which Marlin Hanover was victorious.
In advance of starting from Post 2 in the field of five, driver Luke Plano had good reason and sound strategy for a positive outcome.
"I thought my horse obviously played in the race," said Plano. "And since he had a rough go getting to the lead last week, I was hoping to work out a trip, preferably if I could sit the two-hole behind Haggin Oaks [and driver James Kennedy]."
Leaving while joined by One And Only (Jim Lackey) and Haggin Oaks, the race took a whole new look when the 4-5 favourite Haggin Oaks made an uncharacteristic break as the field entered the first turn.
"Before Haggin Oaks broke, I was trying to put One And Only in the hole behind me so I could sit the two-hole to Haggin Oaks. But when she broke, I opted for the give and go with One And Only. I already thought my chances were good, but after Haggin Oaks made the break, I obviously thought they were better because she was the one to beat off two in a row."
Getting the lead at the same point Haggin Oaks made her miscue, Plano took a big hold of his charge an eighth of a mile past the start to yield to the 3/16ths mile marker into a :28.2 opening quarter. Back on the move just past the quarter-mile pole, the five-year-old cleared to the front to the three-eighths mile station while under a hold for her confident pilot, soon reaching the half-mile juncture, timed in :57.4.
"I thought my chances were solid from there because I was getting my own way."
Getting a third-quarter breather into a :59 middle-half while still under a grip, Plano gave a tap to his anxious pacer at the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:27.2.
"He was pretty loaded at that point and had a lot of pace left. But I also knew that One And Only likes the trip he was getting, as did Amigo De Garcia [and Steve Wiseman], who were behind him so I knew it was going to be a sprint."
Receiving another tap to the head of the lane and now in gear while leading by two-lengths with less than 3/16ths of a mile to go, an urged Marlin Hanover looked good until One And Only started getting closer with a sixteenth of a mile left.
"I had a slight concern because One And Only was making up some ground and he usually finishes pretty strong, especially near the wire. But my horse still felt good and was fighting every step and would hold on well."
Owned by Richard Morita and David Yamada, the Liberio Pacheco-trained pupil held on to win ($10.40) by a neck, in 1:54.3. One And Only, also owned by Morita and Yamada and trained by Pacheco, had to settle for the place honours, and Amigo De Garcia finished three-quarters of a length farther back in third.
"I thought he raced tough and felt he bounced back nicely off the rough trip he received last week.
"On the eight wins, I had a lot of horses in real good spots and had a real good night," added Plano. "Kudos to the trainers I drive for, they did a great job with their horses as they had them all ready to go and in the right spots/"
(With files from Cal Expo)