Biggest Big Bertha, who returned to her winning ways last week off a nice trip; and Don’t Tempt Me, her most immediate victim that evening at 6-5, head the cast for Thursday night’s (January 21) $6,100 filly-mare Open Pace at Cal-Expo.

A 9-year-old daughter of Little Steven, Biggest Big Bertha is the richest member of the cast as she is just shy of the $300,000 earnings plateau and boasts a 1:51.1 career standard. She carries the banner of Marilee Keene with Rick Plano doing the driving and training.

Biggest Big Bertha rattled off a couple of impressive conditioned victories late last year before moving back up to this Open level, but had been frustrated over the past several starts with minor awards before getting back to the winner’s circle following last week’s gathering at the head of the class.

Plano left for position with his mare from the cozy rail slot and dropped into the pocket on the first turn.  He tracked dueling stablemates Zoom Past You and Forever Showin Off to the drive, made her move to the lead at deep stretch and then had enough left to hold off a hard-charging Don’t Tempt Me by a neck in the 1:54.3 tour.

Don’t Tempt Me is a hard-knocking 6-year-old Precious Bunny offspring who races for the partnership of Keith Ballard, Lester Hunsucker and James Yates with Jill Wine the conditioner and Luke Plano handling the lines.  She was a 15-time victress from 37 starts last season, including a lifetime-best 1:52.3 score here, but has been the beaten favorite in all three of her 2010 appearances.

She lost her best chance behind modest fractions on January 1, lost by a nose after holding a big lead two back, then came flying with a :27.1 final quarter last week, but could not quite get to Biggest Big Bertha while a length and a half clear of the rest of the field.

Sintillating has a real strong late kick and always has to be respected.  Alan Kirschenbaum and Denise Maier are the owner/breeders of this daughter of Little Steven while Tim Maier reins and trains.  She has over $200,000 in the bank and a 1:51.3 mark and recorded her most recent victory with a powerful surge in the Open on New Year’s night.  She has a third and fourth-place finish in the interim.
 
Shoot The Works Enjoying New Year
 
Shoot The Works has been a pleasant surprise for his owner/trainer Matias Ruiz, reporting to the winner’s circle following four of his seven starts since joining the shedrow last season.

“He was on the farm when he was offered to me in September and I needed horses and took a chance,” Ruiz related.  “I had him for about two months before I started him.  He had some ability, because he’d won in 1:56, but he also had his problems.”

Shoot The Works made his first start under the Ruiz banner over a sloppy track on November 20 and absolutely smoked his seven rivals, coming home with 13 lengths to spare for Rick Plano.
 
“I told Rick going in that I thought he was pretty much ready despite the layoff, and then he came back and said the horse had some talent,” Matias noted.

The 5-year-old son of Hi Ho Silverheels came right back in his next appearance to establish a new mark of 1:54.3 with Lemoyne Svendsen in the bike, then had outside posts in his next three starts to close out the year on a less than stellar note.
 
“That second win was pretty strong, and then he had his troubles with those posts, including that race where he had the second tier in a 12-horse field and was locked in the entire mile.”

The new year has been a different story for Shoot The Works.  He parlayed a pocket journey to another 1:54.3 tally on January 3 with Rick, then came back last week on the class rise with Luke Plano and made every pole a winning one after getting away with some very comfortable fractions.

“He had his luck paid back in the first start when he was able to get a two-hole trip, then Luke rated him perfectly last time.  I was pretty happy when I saw the half go up in a minute.  He missed a week in between because I had some vet work done and didn’t want to come back too quickly from that.  Because of the rain, though, a lot of horses were in the same boat.  He’s still not 100 percent physically, but I’m working on it.”
 
Stidham Has Trotter In Rare Form
 
Rocky Stidham and the 6-year-old Putoneonnetformom having been putting on a trotting clinic the last couple of weeks, posting blowout victories over conditioned rivals.

Putoneonnetformom, who campaigns for Jeff, Gerald and Diana Cimini, is a son of the popular Trot For Joy and returned to his home state last fall while joining the Stidham shedrow.

“I always liked his breeding and remembered those races where he was chasing home Hitchiker here in the Sire Stakes,” Rocky related.  “Jeff is a great guy and I’ve trained some young horses for him over the years.  This horse was racing in New York and I phoned him and asked if I could take a shot.”

Putoneonnetformom finished up the year here with a win and a second, lost by a nostril in his 2010 debut and has since scored two very impressive wins, most recently crushing his rivals in front-end fashion by 8-3/4-lengths while lowering his career mark to 1:58.1 in the process.

“He’s really impressed me with those last two wins, and he’s giving the signs of being a very nice horse,” Stidham said.  “I’ve been racing him on the front end because if you’re best, that’s the way you drive them.  I think he’s ready to take it to the next level.”

Just like his trotter, Stidham is in the midst of what might be described as a successful return.  Rocky underwent double hip surgery at the end of October and was back in the sulky just six weeks later.
 
“I appreciate that Jeff stepped up and give me a chance with this horse, knowing that I was going to miss some time with the surgery.”
 
Noah Approach To Main Event
 
Saturday’s main (January 23) event will find a pair of performers from the Bob Johnson, Rick Plano and Gretchen Smith shedrows, with one from Gilbert Herrera’s barn rounding out this quality cast.

Johnson will be represented by Rod’s Famous Ribs, who he owns in partnership with Pamela Mitchell, and Ivegotwhatuneed, who races for the conditioner along with Marty Garey.

The pair just finished one-two under these same conditions last week, as Ivegotwhatuneed put in a strong first-over move with Lemoyne Svendsen, while Rod’s Famous Ribs rode the live cover train with Jim Lackey and outfinished his barnmate by a neck in that 1:53.3 mile.

“They’re pretty evenly matched right now,” Johnson related.  “Ivegotwhatuneed did the work, Rod’s Famous Ribs followed him and they both came home in :26 and change.  You can’t ask for more than that.”

Ivegotwhatuneed is by Givemewhatineed, who went many huge miles and set a track record under Johnson’s direction, out of the Big Towner mare Maudlin Hanover.
 
“The late Lonnie Beck bought her for $400,000 out of the Harrisburg sale.  She won the Juggette and he thought she would make a top broodmare prospect.”

Between them, Rod’s Famous Ribs and Ivegotwhatuneed won 21 of their 72 trips to the post last year while recording lifetime bests.  The latter established his 1:52 career standards here, while Rod’s Famous Ribs lowered his mark to 1:53.1 over the Cal-Expo layout.
 
This season has seen Rod’s Famous Ribs posing following two of his three starts, while Ivegotwhatuneed is eyeing his initial snapshot after filling out the runner-up spot in all three of his appearances, including last week’s game effort where he pretty much set the table for his second-over stable partner.

Along those lines, Bob was asked if he gives his drivers instructions when he has more than one representative in a race.
 
“It depends.  Last week my horses had the two inside slots and I just told them to follow along and make their moves when they thought the time was right.  It worked out pretty well, finished Johnson.”
 
A reminder that beginning next week, the trotters and pacers will switch to a Wednesday-through-Saturday night schedule.  That Wednesday, January 27 program will be the first leg of the Midweek Madness Handicapping contest, coming to a California facility near you.  There will be $10,000 in prizes, with the second leg of February 3 and the final on February 10.

There is no fee to enter the contest, which is open to any fan age 18 or older.  The first two rounds will each find $100 wagering vouchers to the top 25 highest scores and an entry into the February 10 finale.  That final round offers $5,000 in prize money, with $2,500 to the winner, $750 to second, $500 to third, $250 to fourth and $100 to the fifth through 14th finishers. 
 
Live racing resumes at Cal-Expo on Thursday (January 21) and continues through Sunday (January 24).  Post-time on Thursday is at 5:35 p.m. (PST).  Post-time on Friday (January 22) is at 5:55 p.m.  Post-time on Saturday (January 23) is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Post-time on Sunday is at a special early post-time of 5:00 p.m.  On Thursday, Cal-Expo offers a complete Lasagna dinner, which includes salad and bread, for just $3.00.