She changed tactics, she set an honest pace, and there was no doubt Haggin Oaks was the best
.
Filly & Mare Open 2 Handicap pacers, racing for a purse of $5,200, were featured at Cal-Expo on Friday night, September 17, in which Haggin Oaks repeated in solid fashion.
Before starting from her assigned Post 5 in the field of the same number, trainer James Kennedy did his homework in a race that "appeared" on paper to lack speed.
"I studied the program pretty hard and decided I was going to leave because I didn't want to sprint with a bunch of horses down the lane," stated Kennedy. "Plus I wanted to see if she could do it on the front-end."
Plastered to the gate as were Sweet Treats (Tim Maier), Blue Note (Scott Cisco) and Scooter Babe (Steve Wiseman), Haggin Oaks left sharply as did those that were on the gate with her. Getting the lead an eighth plus past the start, did Kennedy use his mare?
"I kind of thought I did a little bit because it seemed like I was having a hard time clearing Blue Note. But after :28.4 came up for the quarter, I ended up thinking she did it very easily."
With Kennedy putting his whip over the back of his charge in the second-quarter, was the :28.3 split she paced a result of Kennedy, Haggin Oaks, or a moderate backside tailwind into a :57.2 first-half?
"It was what I wanted to do. I took the stopwatch with me tonight with the goal of having her win in 1:54. I wanted to be at the half around :57 and I accomplished that."
Popping the earplugs of his four-year-old past the half-mile juncture with his whip remaining in the same spot, Kennedy had good reason.
"I wanted her to pace another half in :57."
Pacing smartly on the final-turn and in full gear and beginning to open up at the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:25.3, Kennedy was pleased.
"I was still on target time-wise at the three-quarters, which I wanted to get to in around 1:25 and change. She was still strong and I thought my chances were very good."
Opening up more lengths at the head of the stretch, then expanding her lead to three lengths at the seven-eighths mile marker, Haggin Oaks was gone despite being urged some in the last sixteenth of a mile when Scooter Babe was closing.
"I didn't urge her because Scooter Babe was coming, I urged her because I thought she was getting a little lazy on me and I just wanted to keep her on the bit and keep her going because she had never been on the front the entire mile with those type of fractions -- and she responded to my urging and was very good."
Well driven in an excellent mile, Haggin Oaks reported home a winner ($2.80) by three lengths. Owned by Shari Burns, Ferris Funk and Gerald Cimini, Haggin Oaks stopped the timer at 1:54.3, a lifetime best. Scooter Babe finished in second, and Blue Note was another four lengths farther back, in third.
"It was a great accomplishment for her and for me because it has been a long haul with her because she has made breaks at times. So this was a nice reward for hard work," finished a proud Kennedy.
Live racing continues at Cal-Expo on Saturday (September 18) at 6:30 p.m. (PDT). On Saturday and every live card, Cal-Expo offers free admission, as well as free preferred and 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.
Now on every Saturday card, Cal-Expo offers a reduced 15 percent takeout rate on both the Early & Late Pick-4 wagers. Additionally, the Late Pick-4 (Races 11-14) will have a $10,000 gross guaranteed pool.
(Cal Expo)