Having the hot hand has been the latest driving theme at Cal Expo, and Steve Wiseman had it on Friday night
(June 3) while guiding the versatile Berkshire to a closing victory.
Seven trotters, five in on a condition, two to be claimed, were featured for a purse of $3,900, on which Berkshire picked them up and laid them down in a race that shaped up nicely for him.
Clearing ducking as driver Steve Wiseman took back just to the start after a front-end score last week, the pair came away in sixth position into a :28.3 opening quarter while Franks Best (Jim Lackey) bickered for the lead with Putoneonnetformom (Rocky Stidham).
"I think that helped my case," stated Wiseman. "Franks Best, who was one of the horses to beat, is a better trip horse than he is on the front, and he was having to work to get to the there."
Moving outside to race second, then third-over at and past the 7-16ths mile pole, the five year-old, now in a good flow, remained in sixth at the half-mile juncture, timed in :58.3, while 4-3/4-lengths back.
"I was liking it because we were trotting forward and that benefited me because I've got a closer who was going to get closer to the leaders."
Getting a nice cover trip as a first-over Broadway Victory (John Mc Keon Jr.) attacked, but couldn't clear a hardball playing Franks Best, Wiseman and his charge found themselves well positioned and tipping at the three-quarter mile marker, timed in 1:29.2, while now fifth by 3-3/4-lengths.
"I tipped mine three-wide at the three-quarters because I wanted to get the jump on my cover, Giles L S Hanover (Lemoyne Svendsen) because I've driven him before and I know you can't move him right there because you have to nurse him around the turn. At that point I had a lot of trot and thought I had a good chance."
Brushing up to the head of the lane while three-wide, the gelding soon was flying to the seven-eighths mile station. In the blink of an eye he had the lead with a little more than a sixteenth of a mile to go.
"He trotted down the stretch like he did last week - very strongly."
Debuting for owner Jenn Petrelli and trained by husband Frank, a never urged much Berkshire drew clear late to win ($5.80) by two-lengths, in a seasonal best 1:58.2. Giles L S Hanover finished in second, and Putoneonnetformom, who never found racing room until just before the wire while having trot, finished one-length farther back, in third.
"He raced tremendously and I’m sure his late owner, Ron Lingle, was looking down and cheering him on," finished Wiseman, who piloted a personal best seven winners on the 11-race program, of which the first four were to start off the card. For trainer Frank Petrelli, the conditioning triumph was the start of a training triple.
Live harness racing continues at Cal Expo on Saturday (June 4) at 6:00 p.m. (PDT). On Saturday and every live card, Cal Expo offers free admission, as well as free preferred & general parking after 4:30 p.m. Also on Saturday, its Dollar Night, on which hot-dogs; beer, soda, and wine will be sold for one dollar from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
(Cal-Expo)