A second over trip made for pretty easy pickings for Franks Best. Winners Over trotters, racing for purse of $4,500, were featured at Cal Expo on Friday night (March 9), on which Franks Best won for the 22nd time in his career
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With the field of seven sent on their way, Franks Best would not be asked to leave while tucking in sixth position from Post 5 into a :29.2 opening quarter. However, what a couple of his foes did or didn't do at the start could have changed that.
"I made my mind up early that if Rocky Stidham's two horses -- Shelby County [driven by Stidham] and Putoneonnetformom [with James Kennedy] -- left, I was ducking, and that happened so I ducked," said driver Lemoyne Svendsen.
Pulling first over at the 7/16ths mile marker, then catching cover from Putoneonnetformom to the half-mile station, surely the cover was helpful, but what about the slow first-half for Shelby County?
“Getting the second over cover was excellent and just exactly what I wanted because I knew he'd take me right to where I had to go. The 1:00.3 made no difference to me."
Getting a nice cover trip in the third-quarter and only two and a quarter lengths off at the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:30.3, a confident Svendsen was ready to pull the trigger.
"I was pretty sure I was a winner there because 'Frankie' was loaded."
Patiently drafting until moving three-wide with less than 3/16ths of a mile to go and popping the earplugs, Svendsen got the response he has become accustomed to.
"When I popped the plugs he took off. From there I just stayed after him to just keep him busy because sometimes he'll just make a little boo-boo if you don't keep him busy."
Closing at mid-stretch while hardly asked, Svendsen only had to resort to minor urging with a sixteenth of a mile to go as his charge accelerated to the lead late, then just needed a few mini wheel-disc urges until deep stretch as his five-year-old trotted home fastest of all with a :27.4 final quarter.
"He was perfect through the stretch. It was a very nice race for him," finished Svendsen.
Bred, owned and trained by Bob Johnson, the gelding won ($5.40) by one and a quarter lengths in 1:58.4. Shelby County finished in second and Putoneonnetformom finished just a nose farther back in third.
(Cal Expo)