Love Shark at Cal Expo

He was the co-longest shot in the morning line, and he started last, but that didn't stop Love Shark from passing them all. Wearing down Edison Hanover, Love Shark stopped the timer in 1:51.4, a lifetime best, at Cal Expo Wednesday night.

Handicapped pacers slugged it out in the $12,500 Rambling Willie Free-For-All at Cal-Expo Raceway and Love Shark gladly took advantage of a lively pace. Handicapped post-position four, but starting from post three in a field reduced to six with the scratch of Pulse, trainer-driver Rick Plano was more confident about Love Shark’s chances than the morning-line odds-maker thought (12-1), and for that matter what the wagering public thought (9-1).

"I felt I had as good a chance as anybody as long as there was a legitimate pace," said Plano. "I know I was a longshot in the morning-line, but my horse caught a couple of muddy tracks in his last two. He's a good horse, but with the way he travels--he's just not a fantastic mudder."

Coming away last into a torrid :26.3 first-quarter, Plano had to feel good as the pace-setting Du Wah Diddy (Rocky Stidham) was parking out Doggone Incredible (Jim Lackey)--who was in quest for the lead as well as his sixth win in-a-row. With Du Wah Diddy committed to the lead, which in-turn forced Doggone Incredible into a most difficult three-hole, which he didn't obtain until past the 7-16ths pole, the field reached the half-mile pole in a hot :54.3.

"Even though I was still sitting last, I thought my chances were very good,” said Plano. “The back markers are going to come when they're going that fast up front. I was just biding my time and getting ready to move out. When I pulled at the 9-16ths pole, so did Eddie (Hensley) with Edison Hanover--which was good cover because Edison Hanover is a nice horse that looked like a player in the race. I could see that Eddie thought Derek Bromac N (Lou Pena) was going to pull because Eddie sort of waited a little bit--wanting second-over cover--but Derek Bromac N didn't pull. Once Edison Hanover got by Derek Bromac N, he got Doggone Incredible out at the five-eighths mile pole and that got us up close."

Although the pace slowed down in the third-quarter, Du Wah Diddy still reached the three-quarter mile pole in a rapid 1:24.1. All to the liking of Cal-Expo's leading trainer and co-leading driver.

"I was just following along waiting to turn for home,” continued Plano. “I moved him four-wide to the top of the lane and maybe a touch too soon, but I had a good hold of him and he felt strong. I knew he'd be good coming home, I just wanted to give him a chance to win as I expected him to come home around :27 flat."

With the field set down for the drive, and Edison Hanover taking over the lead, Plano asked for a little more from his charge.

"I popped his earplugs at the head of the lane and he was pacing as fast as a horse could pace at that point. At midstretch I kind of thought I had Edison Hanover, who was digging in, but I finally got him and actually let up on my horse inside the sixteenth pole."

"The race set up exactly the way I needed it to win. To win in fields like this, the horse that gets the trip is going to win that race nine out of 10 times. Tonight we got that trip, I couldn't be happier."

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