It’s not often you’ll see a pair of 12-year-olds combining for the exacta at Cal-Expo, but that’s exactly what happened when On Eagles Wings, at 17-1, and Amcam, at even money, crossed the line one-two in last Saturday’s nightcap.
On Eagles Wings is a New Zealand import that has been a mainstay at the Chris Hernandez barn for many seasons.
“We had the No. 7 post and my plan was to tuck him, but he wanted no part of that when the gate started rolling,” Hernandez related. “If you fight him too much at the start, he’ll just fight you back and use himself up.”
After leaving into the four hole, On Eagles Wings was out and moving again at the half and was able to position himself perfectly behind Amcam, who was working his way to the lead.
“Once the flow started coming at the half, I knew I had to go or be locked in, and we were able to flush out the favourite,” Chris explained. “He carried us to the stretch and then Wings kicked into gear and wanted to go.
“He’s kind of a funny horse, because around the barn he is very quiet and easy to work with, but once it’s race time, he can be quite a handful for a 12-year-old. You let him do what he wants, though, and he’s happy.”
What On Eagles Wings wanted to do in last Saturday's race was to pace, and the Down Under veteran would go on to add another picture to his large scrapbook.
(With files from Cal-Expo)