Claiming handicap pacers were featured at Cal-Expo in two divisions last night -- an evening in which one race shaped up well and the other shaped up perfectly.
In the first division, Schemes left from Post 3 and had the lead one sixteenth of a mile after the start for driver Steve Wiseman. The pair yielded into the first turn for an eventual three-hole into a :28.3 opening quarter.
With the field about seven-sixteenths of a mile through the race, a total change in the outlook took place when the pacesetting 1-2 favourite Gee Gee Cyril Lee (Luke Plano) broke.
"Gee Gee Cyril Lee kind of concerned me when he broke because he was just kind of sitting out there and I didn't know which way to go," Wiseman stated. "Then when he came back pacing I didn't know if Ritchie (driver Richie Wojcio) and Grandpa Stevie were going to let him retake or not. As it turns out, they didn't, and that was good for me because I now was in the pocket while Gee Gee Cyril Lee was parked. With no offense to Gee Gee Cyril Lee, I was quite happy with how things had now shaped up."
Now enjoying the pocket through a :58.1 first-half and a 1:27.1 three-quarters, Wiseman moved his charge to the outside with less than three-sixteenths of a mile to go.
"He paced home good and was game because Grandpa Stevie isn't easy to wear down, but he did it."
Reeling in Grandpa Stevie in deep-stretch, Schemes won ($23.00) by a half-length. Owned by Gilbert Herrera and trained by Earl Kennedy, the eight-year-old gelding stopped the timer at 1:55.1, a seasonal best and his 25th career triumph. Grandpa Stevie tried hard while second, and Leadmeastray (driven by Troy Thomas) finished another two and a quarter lengths further back, in third.
"He finally drew an inside post which allowed him to get away closer, which would give him a shot that he took advantage of with a super mile in a very good race for him," Wiseman concluded.
In the second division, Hanover D G made every pole a winning one off well-rated fractions of :29.2, :59.1 and 1:28.
"Once I got the easy first-half, combined with him being a strong finishing horse, it was over and pretty easy for him from there," driver James Kennedy said.
Under urging in the lane with the pocket-sitting Whitman (driven by Steve Wiseman) gaining, Kennedy wasn't worried about the obvious.
"I was about 100 per cent that Whitman wasn't going to beat me. There was, however, a concern that he was bearing in and I didn't want him to run into me."
Holding on to win ($4.60) by a neck, the Brian Solden-leased and trained nine-year-old scored in 1:55.2, thus recording his 31st career victory while also pushing his earnings over $100,000. Whitman finished in second, and Dugout Andee (Rich Wojcio) finished two and three-quarter lengths further back, in third.
"He's a nice aged horse that raced very nicely for me," Kennedy concluded.
Live racing continues at Cal-Expo on Friday (September 10) at 6:20 p.m. (PDT) and Saturday (September 11) at 6:50 p.m.
Now on Saturdays, Cal-Expo will offer a reduced 15 per cent takeout rate on both the Early and Late Pick-4 wagers with the Late Pick-4 having a $10,000 gross guaranteed pool.
(Cal-Expo)