Getting class relief and a perfect trip after three straight thirds in the Open saw TV Mom be the pocket-rocket
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A field of six conditioned trotters, and one in for a tag, were featured at Cal-Expo on Friday night (January 22), on which TV Mom scored for the 32nd time in her career.
In advance of starting from post-position two in the field of seven over a tracked listed as 'good,' driver Lemoyne Svendsen had good reason to be very optimistic, yet wouldn't count his chickens before they were hatched.
"Obviously I thought off the class drop she should win," stated Svendsen. "But it wasn't a gimme race because there were some good horses in there."
Leaving and getting the lead a sixteenth of a mile past the start, Svendsen yielded for the pocket as the field entered the first-turn into a :29.1 opening quarter.
Remaining in the garden spot behind the pace-setting Jam And Jelly (Rick Plano) through middle-half fractions of :59 & 1:28.2, Svendsen found himself locked in the box with a quarter of a mile to go, but wasn't worried.
"I've driven Jam And Jelly before and I know she doesn't give up. So despite being locked in - - I thought I was sitting okay especially considering my horse was completely loaded."
Popping out of the pocket at the seven-eighths mile pole, Svendsen laid his whip on the back of his charge to mid-stretch, then tucked the whip, but not before a brief concern.
"She came out of the hole so fast that she slipped over the off track and got rough on me and I almost lost her. Once I got her settled, however - - it was all over and a jog-burger from there."
Owned by Richard Reider in partnership with trainer George Reider, TV Mom trotted by Jam And Jelly late for an easy win ($3.40) by 2-1/4-lengths, in 1:58. I Look Special (Steve Wiseman) came on at the wire to be second, and Jam And Jelly tried hard, while just a nose farther back, in third.
"It was an easy race and an easy win for her," finished Svendsen.
Live harness racing continues at Cal-Expo on Saturday (January 23) at 5:35 p.m. (PST) and on Sunday (January 24) at a special post-time of 5:00 p.m. On Saturday night at Cal-Expo, its Dollar Night, on which hot-dogs; beer, soda, and wine will be sold for one dollar.
(Cal-Expo)