Sire Stakes highlight Saturday card at Cal-Expo

Sophomore boys on both gaits were spotlighted at Cal-Expo in $15,000 California Sires Stakes action on Saturday night (April 26), on which Star Time Kid and Stars And Sites prevailed.

In the action for the pacers, Star Time Kid and trainer Rick Plano had to work harder than expected to obtain the lead from post two in the field of six as driver Rich Wojcio, behind Nightscreamer, pushed the pace before yielding to the quarter-mile pole, timed in :28.

"The lead was kind of testy because I think Ritchie (Rich Wojcio) figured if I got to the lead easy, that I'd let Bronte Anas Boy (Lou Pena) go, then reclaim," said Plano.  "As a result, I got extended to get the lead and that concerned me."

With the field now having straightened out for their long journey up the backside, Plano had to deal with a lead-wanting Bronte Anas Boy.

"There was nothing I could do with Bronte Anas Boy in the second quarter, I wasn't letting him go," Plano said.  "So, I opened up my horse to the 7-16ths mile pole to put Bronte Anas Boy in behind me."

Pacing a :28 second quarter against a slight headwind and reaching the half-mile pole in an honest 56 seconds, Plano, who has admitted that his pupil prefers to close, was by no means feeling home free.

"I was more concerned because I figured my other horse -- Themaninthewindow (Luke Plano) -- would be coming from somewhere from the back.  I wasn't, however, aware at that point, that he had made a break before the start."

With his gelding pacing sharply on the final turn, Plano decided it was time to step on the pedal a little firmer.

"From just past the five-eighths, I was going for real-estate with the hopes that no one would catch me."

Expanding his lead midway through the final turn and now leading by three lengths at the three-quarter mile station, timed in 1:24.3, Plano was now much more confident.

"I knew I had quite a few lengths at that point and thought I had a good chance because I didn't hear anybody coming from the back."

Under urging into the stretch and now on top by five lengths with an eighth of a mile to go, Plano's charge would start to shorten stride while Themaninthewindow was now making up ground with every stride.

"He got tired at mid-stretch, but I thought I was getting home at that point, but I was happy that the wire came up."

Bred and owned by the partnership of Alan Kirschenbaum and Sheldon Perry, Star Time Kid would hold on to win ($3.80) by one-length in 1:54.4, thus equaling a lifetime mark while recording his fourth straight.  Themaninthewindow was a gigantic second, given he was at least ten lengths off the gate as a result of a break before the start, and Bronte Anas Boy was another 5-1/4-lengths farther back, in third.

"My horse never got a breather and raced great, given the circumstances," finished Plano.

On the trotting side, a great deal of the attention was deservingly on the 3-5 favorite Meringue (Luke Plano), but driver Bruce Clarke behind Stars And Sites knew that it wasn't going to be a one-horse race.

"I'm high on my horse," said Clarke.  "I was concerned with Meringue, but I have a lot of faith in my colt who I think is a nice horse."

Leaving from post position five in the field of eight, Clarke would drop into the pocket just after the field had traveled 3-16ths of a mile into a :29.3 opening quarter, but that wasn't the plan.

"I wanted the lead, but I took the two hole because it was available.  But, I also didn't want Luke (Plano) jamming the brakes in front of me."

With Plano, in fact, hitting the brakes early in the second quarter, Clarke had to do what was best for his charge.

"The pace started to slow down and I figured with the slow pace that it would bother my colt if I had to take a hold of him, as I didn't want to double him up in the hole.  So that's why I pulled at he three-eighths and went to the front."

Making the lead at the half-mile pole, timed in 1:01, and receiving no third-quarter pressure until Meringue drove out of the pocket to the three-quarter mile marker, timed in 1:31.3, Clarke felt good.

"I was sitting pretty comfortable with my horse at that point, and I really hadn't pushed him yet.  I know when someone gets beside him that he'll race that horse."

Now with Meringue at his throatlatch with the field into the stretch, Stars And Sites sent out a strong message.

“My colt, as I thought, dug in when Meringue got beside him and he won well in hand."

"I was pretty excited about the win -- this colt means a lot to me," Clarke proudly finished.

Perhaps the mile of the night, however, occurred in the third race, when Claudius Augustus and driver Rick Plano cut out fractions of :28, :57.1, and 1:25.4, before stopping the timer in a sizzling 1:54.3, all while the 4-year-old gelding got just a few love taps from his pilot late. 

The 1:54.3 clocking was a new track-record for Aged Trotters, breaking the mark by one-fifth of a second that was co-held by Trot For Joy, JW Dutch Treat, and Amazing Glide.  Owned by The Gusty Stable and back being trained by Bob Johnson, Claudius Augustus, in making his 2008 debut, remained undefeated at Cal-Expo in five starts, with his first four career wins taking place at Cal-Expo before venturing to Canada. (Cal-Expo)

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