Fire in the Cal Expo rain

The track came up sloppy, which she loves, and her archrival broke before the start, which she had to love, so Benn's Fire romped to an easy victory in the $8,500 Invitational Handicap Trot on a wet Thursday night at Cal-Expo. It was Benn's Fire's 57th win over her career.

In advance of starting from post six in the field of the same number, driver Bruce Clarke wanted to do what was best for the 10 year old over the "sloppy" track. "I used her hard last week, so I was going back to the old strategy, which was to race her from the back," said Clarke. "She's a very good mare and I thought she had a good shot."

The "shot" that Clarke gave her before the race increased dramatically an eighth of a mile to the start, when the slight 2-1 favorite (by $40 in the betting over Benn's Fire), that being Desperatehousewife, made a very costly break, changing Clarke's thoughts on how the race would shape up.

"When Desperatehousewife broke, it made the race a whole lot different because I had planned on following her right up to the top of the lane. But with her way back, starting fifth for me made it a lot easier, but I wasn't concerned about how the trip was going to go."

Racing off the starting-gate by 1 1/2 lengths, Clarke had good reason. "My mare was grabbing on, so I took her off the gate just to make sure I could take her to the back."

Coming away in fifth position, while six lengths back at the quarter-mile pole, timed in :29.2, Clarke was in no hurry. "I was quite comfortable where I was and wasn't thinking about too much else at that point."

With no change in position in the second-quarter mile, an unhurried Benn's Fire remained about six lengths back at the half-mile pole, timed in :59.3.

"Her and I spent the second-quarter relaxing because she can trot the turns so very fast, that it was just a matter of waiting to get to the turn."

Benn's Fire would soon power past the pacesetting Stormy Hall (Luke Plano) at the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:29.2. "I knew no one was going to pull out of their position in the final-turn, so when I pulled her, I decided to come and come hard. When I cleared Stormy Hall so quickly, I knew there was no shot of anybody catching her."

Opening up the lead immediately, and expanding that margin to three lengths while trotting with authority as the field entered the lane, Clarke was now sitting like a statue, with his whip tucked for the drive.

"She was trotting very strong and very straight, and well on her own. I took a big look back with a sixteenth of a mile to go, but not for anybody in particular, I was just seeing how far back they were."

Far back indeed, as Benn's Fire scored by a well wrapped-up five lengths. Owned and trained by Mark Anderson, Benn's Fire stopped the timer at 1:58. The victory for Benn's Fire on the off-going now gives her 14 wins, along with nine seconds and two thirds, for earnings of $110,731 when the track is rated off.

"She continues to be one of my favorite horses of all time. I've never seen a bad race out of her, which tells you how great a job Mark Anderson does in keeping her sound. She raced awesome, it's a pleasure to come here and drive her," Clarke finished. (with files from Cal Expo)

« Back