It's no lie: A Cal Expo story

She drew well in a field where it appeared she fit like a glove, and since the glove fit, Goaheadandlietome didn't quit. Conditioned and claiming “ladies,” racing for a $5,300 purse, were co-featured on Thursday night, on which Goaheadandlietome led from start to finish.

In advance of starting from post position two in the field of eight, driver Ed Hensley knew he had good reason to be confident.

"She raced real well last week and thus had a very good chance tonight," Hensley said. "I really didn't know what some of the outside horses were going to do, so I figured I'd step around the one horse (Pip's Jenny G) and take it from there."

Leaving well while only joined in leaving by Dayahana (Rick Plano), Hensley knew then where we wanted to be.

"I figured once I had my mare started up that I'd keep on going and put Dayahana behind me."

Reaching the quarter-mile pole in a moderate :29, the early split was certainly to the benefit of Goaheadandlietome.

"I liked the slow quarter, which increased my already very good chances."

With no second quarter-mile pressure, Goaheadandlietome reached the half-mile pole in a time of :57.3, all while Hensley was merely a passenger.

"I just let her roll, and she did it on her own, and felt very strong doing it."

Under a good hold going into the final-turn, while pacing strongly, Hensley decided, with five-sixteenths of a mile to go, to employ a little strategy.

"I know Dayahana sometimes has a problem with the turns, so I let out a notch on my mare and she paced on very strongly and continued to feel very good."

Opening up a 2 1/2 lengths lead at the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:25.1, Hensley, after the speedy :27.3 third quarter-mile, could taste victory.

"I didn't think I was getting beat from there."

Continuing to expand the lead with the field now headed for home, Hensley went to work on his charge.

"I just wanted to keep her pacing to the wire."

Pacing to the wire she did, as Goaheadandlietome won with authority, while the issue was clearly never in doubt, winning by four lengths. Owned by the Summersby Stable and trained by Jamie Sullivan, Goaheadandlietome, in recording her 25th career triumph, stopped the timer at 1:54.

"She was very good and very impressive," Hensley concluded.

The victory for the Summersby Stable was part of an ownership triple, and for Sullivan a part of a training triple. For Hensley, it was one of four victories on the card.

Dayahana was second best and Kievline (Gilbert Herrera) finished another 2 ½ lengths back in third.

Featured as well on the card were conditioned and claiming trotters, racing for a $5,300 purse, in which Ever So Near (Tien Desomer) lit up the board.

Bred and owned by the partnership of Chris Bardis and the Desomer Stable, the Vickie Desomer-trained gelding, who went off at odds of 43-1, won by a nose, in 1:58, which equaled a lifetime best.

Final Choice (Gilbert Herrera) just failed while finishing in second, and J W Dutch Treat (Hensley) finished another 1 3/4 lengths farther back in third. (Cal Expo)

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