It wasn't looking rosy from before the race and as well as during it, but Nittany Linebacker still showed "real desire" in winning
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Open Handicap pacers, racing for a purse of $6,100, were featured at Cal-Expo on Saturday night (June 12), on which Nittany Linebacker won his fourth straight.
With the field sent on their way, Nittany Linebacker found himself a length off the gate, but that wasn't the plan.
"The reason I wasn't on the gate was because before the race, he shook the earplugs out," stated driver Jim Lackey. "When we tried to put them back in on the track, he didn't want any part of it - - so I just said 'let's go.' As it turns out that was probably the reason he wasn't on the gate and it surprised me that he wasn't because when he's sharp it wouldn't matter - - especially with the earplugs out. As a result it concerned me."
Choosing to pace forward off the wings from post-five in the field of the same number, Lackey had good logic.
"I thought Living It Up (Rick Plano) was one of the horses to beat and I chose to go on because I didn't want to spot him five-lengths. And although I didn't know if I could win going to the lead - - I didn't think I could coming from last."
Racing three-wide until the field entered the first-turn, then following cover until left alone on the rim at the quarter-mile pole, timed in :28.2, Lackey explains why there wasn't a sense of urgency to the front.
"The horse was a little sluggish and it was good that Luke Plano behind Cowboy Hanover was especially courteous in giving me the top because my horse didn't seem like he was strong going to the lead."
Not clearing to the point until the 7-16's mile marker, but into a :58 first-half, Lackey had good news and bad news.
":58 is certainly a soft half for that group - - but it certainly seemed like he was working to do it."
Now under minor urging at the 9-16ths mile pole with Ideally Magic (James Kennedy) moving up, Nittany Linebacker actually sent a fairly positive message to his pilot as a result of the final-turn pressure.
"When Ideally Magic came along side of me and was only a head back at the three-quarters (1:26.3) - - at least my horse took some hold of the bit. At that point, however, I was very unsure of my chances and was just trying to save him as long as I could because it was still a long way home."
Drawing clear into the stretch and under a drive, Lackey put his charge under an all-out drive at the seven-eighths with horses now coming from all sides.
"I didn't think my chances were that good with an eighth of a mile to go because like last week it didn't seem like he had much 'go' - - but he sort of kind of keeps chugging along. It's a good thing Junior (Jim Wilkinson Jr.) hooks him all the way out because if he had hooked him shorter it might have been the margin of victory," laughed Lackey.
Owned by Billie Schwartz and the Ads Up Racing Stable in partnership with trainer Jim Wilkinson Jr., the four year-old lasted by a nose to win ($3.40) in 1:54.1. Living It Up finished in second, and Cowboy Hanover was just a head farther back, in third.
"He was just good enough to win which was good because if we had gone just a little bit farther, it seems like at least one horse would have gone by him," concluded Lackey.
Live harness racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Thursday (June 17) and continues through Saturday (June 19). Post-times are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (PDT).
(Cal-Expo)