After not firing in her last despite poor cover, She Is So Glad bounced back and got a victory
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Conditioned filly and mare pacers were featured at Cal Expo on Friday night (Dec. 3) in the $4,500 Kaycess Doll elimination, in which She Is So Glad out-sprinted her foes.
Lagging the gate two-lengths over a track listed as 'good' and coming away in fourth position for driver Rich Wojcio from Post 3 in the field of six, the filly gapped two-lengths into a :31.2 opening quarter, but there was good reason.
"I knew they were going pretty slow," said Wojcio. "I was just trying to keep her calm and not over aggressive in the hole because of the slow fractions."
Narrowing the gap at the half-mile juncture, but into a 1:04.1 first-half mile, Wojcio continued to not be worried.
"They were going slow, but she was very comfortable in the hole. I, however, didn't know how she'd finish because she wasn't any good last week but I wasn't concerned."
Gapping two-lengths again at the 9/16ths mile pole, She Is So Glad seemed to get going at the three-quarter mile station, timed in 1:33.4.
"I was just debating whether to sit in or follow Thelady Isa Champ (Tim Maier) at that point."
Angling into the stretch, Wojcio was aware of several things.
"I knew it was going to be a sprint from there because no one had used their horse up to that moment but I knew at the top of the stretch that I had more horse than I had last week when she was empty."
Moving four and five-wide to the seven-eighths mile marker and under a drive, She Is So Glad kicked into gear.
"We were all across the track, and she was fortunate to be the winner."
Closing nicely and fastest of all, the sophomore young lady won ($4.80) by three-quarters of one-length. Owned and bred by Jay Rosenberg and trainer Jim Wilkinson Jr. in partnership with Hans Karge and Billie Schwartz, She Is So Glad stopped the timer at 2:02 while scooting home in :27.2. Bewareofthisaffair (James Kennedy) finished in second, and Just Plum Lucky (Luke Plano) finished three-quarters of one-lengths father back, in third.
"It was a good job by Junior [Jim Wilkinson Jr.] and his staff to get her back and much better than last week. She put in an excellent effort and a good prep for the Sires Stakes final," finished Wojcio.
(Cal Expo)