OG's Si Bon earns a win at Cal-Expo

After a string a fine efforts, OG's Si Bon finally got through the door she had been knocking on.

Conditioned-claimers were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night (March 25), on which OG's Si Bon never looked back.

Leaving, but while out-left, driver James Kennedy accelerated his mare to the first-turn before getting the lead well after an eighth of a mile.  Did Kennedy use his charge into a :28.4 first-quarter?

"I actually thought I used her a lot because I lagged leaving," stated Kennedy.  "So when I decided to leave - - I had to get on her pretty good and used her to sprint to get to the front.  It concerned me a little bit because she was scooting along with very good speed and I thought I used her a little too much to get there because I think she paced the second sixteenth in the first quarter in probably six seconds."

Giving his mare a :31.2 second-quarter breather, Kennedy was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"When I saw the timer pop up at the half at :59.4, I pretty much felt I had regained what little bit of stamina I thought I had used in that first-quarter."

Meeting up with a fast moving Serengeti Sunset (Steve Hyman) at the five-eighths mile marker, Kennedy, at the three-quarter mile station, timed in 1:29.2, was calm and cool despite the pressure.

"I was sitting very chilly and hadn't really pushed her since the (first) quarter, plus I hadn't popped the earplugs at that point.  I was just sitting along for the ride and thought my chances were very good."

Only on top by less than a length as the field entered the lane, Kennedy felt it was necessary to ask for more speed.

"It was a pretty good drive by Steve Hyman to try and get me by surprise with Serengeti Sunset and they got pretty close - - so I popped the earplugs around the seven-eighths mile pole and she responded perfectly.  From that point on Serengeti Sunset wasn't going to go by me."

Under minor urging until mid-stretch, then not urged the rest of the way, the four year-old held firm to win ($3.80) easier than the half-length winning margin would indicate.  Owned by Raymond O'Neill in partnership with trainer Matius Ruiz, OG's Si Bon stopped the timer at 1:58.1, a lifetime best.  Serengeti Sunset was a good second, and Mighty Fine Hi Ho (John Chappell) finished just a half-length farther back, in third.

"It was a pretty easy class and she was kind of the best in there and had been in there for a while - - but it was still a pretty good race," concluded Kennedy. (Cal-Expo)

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