When Franks Best lines up at the gate for Saturday night’s sixth race at Cal Expo, he will have just shy of $250,000 in his bank account for trainer Bob Johnson.
“I bred him and own him, and he’s been a nice little ATM machine over the years,” Johnson said with a smile when asked about the nine-year-old trotting son of Armbro Scribe and the American Winner mare Inside Edition.
“He’s obviously lost a step or two, but he absolutely loves to train and race and the one other thing about him, he gives his best every single time.”
Franks Best actually established his lifetime mark of 1:55.4 at Cal Expo earlier this year, but didn’t see action between the end of that meet on May 8 and a third-place finish on last weekend’s card.
“He came with us to Hoosier Park this summer, but pulled a suspensory the first time we trained him back there,” his mentor explained. ”That type of injury can be tough, but he’s come back well and now that he’s had a race under his belt, I expect him to improve.”
Mooney Svensden, who has been his main chauffeur for several years, will once again climb Behind Franks Best. The pair will start from Post 4 and will meet some familiar foes like Franky Provolone and Winsome Kelly.
PACING, TROTTING OPENS COMMAND THE SPOTLIGHT
A $6,000 Open Pace that finds Barbarian eyeing his fourth straight victory and a $6,600 Open Trot that rematches Silverlode and Flameon headline the Cal Expo program Saturday night.
There will be 12 races on the Watch and Wager LLC card with first post set for 6:10 p.m. The featured trot has been carded as the second event, while the featured pace is the third contest.
A reminder that starting this week, there will be Friday and Saturday night programs.
Barbarian eyes a grand slam in the Open Pace and has been assigned the outside post in the field of six. A five-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere, he is owned by Robert Orr, takes his lessons from Sparky Clarke and will have Tony Succarotte back at the controls.
Barbarian finished up his Vernon Downs campaign in New York State with back-to-back wins in the Miracle Mile series, then made his local debut at Cal Expo last week in the Open and was sent off as the 5-2 second choice.
The Clarke trainee was shuffled a bit midway, took aim on the leaders at the head of the stretch and came a sparkling :26 final quarter en route to winning by two and a quarter lengths in 1:54.4.
Silverlode and Flameon put on one heck of a battle two weeks ago in the most recent Open Trot. The former prevailed by a head over a ‘good’ track after having carved out all the fractions and just holding off the first-over Flameon.
Silverlode is a homebred British Sterling mare who races for Desomer Stables and will once again have the services of Luke Plano. Chip Lackey will guide Flameon for owner Mark Anderson and conditioner Gordie Graham. It should prove to be a very interesting rematch.
(With files from Cal Expo)