Cowboy Hanover rounds'em up at Cal-Expo

Open I Handicap pacers, racing for a purse of $6,500, were featured at Cal-Expo on Saturday night, on which Cowboy Hanover got a three-peat.

Assigned the outside in the field of a half-dozen, the 5-year-old would come away last into a :28 first-quarter for driver Luke Plano.

For Cowboy Hanover, he'd remain at the back and wouldn't pull until moving into second-over position to the 9/16ths mile pole while following D Jokerman (Steve Wiseman).

Under a good grip while following three-wide cover to the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:24.3, Plano was confident despite still being able to see them all.

"My horse felt real strong and had a lot of go," stated Plano. "I was just waiting for us to straighten out to make my move. Even though I was last, I still thought, at that point, that I was in pretty good shape."

Moving five-wide for the drive and still 4-1/2-lengths from the front, Plano would have reason to be a little worried when the pocket sitting Youbetterbelieveit (Tim Maier) popped out of the two hole and charged into the lead to the seven-eighths mile pole.

"I had a bit of a concern about catching Youbetterbelieveit because he was pacing pretty strong when he came out of the pocket and had some real estate on me."

Now flying at mid-stretch, but running out of time, Plano would call on his charge and get the right answer.

When I asked my horse in the lane he got into high gear. I knew I had Youbetterbelieveit around the sixteenth pole because my horse was just devouring too much ground."

Owned by Dave and Kimberly Haness in partnership with Maryann Plano, the Rick Plano-trained gelding would zoom into the lead in the shadow of the wire to win ($3.80) by 1-1/4 lengths, in 1:52.2. Youbetterbelieveit had to settle for second, and D Jokerman finished another 2-3/4 lengths farther back, in third.

"The horse is in outstanding form right now and it was a great race for him," finished the young Plano. (Cal-Expo)