A track bias that clearly favored closers had no bearing on Gee Gee Cyril Lee from wiring a field for his 6th straight win.
 
Claiming handicap pacers, racing for a purse of $3,900, were co-featured at Cal-Expo on a hot Thursday night (September 2), on which Gee Gee Cyril Lee paced to the fastest mile of the young summer/fall/winter meet.
 
Before starting from post-two in the field of a half-dozen, driver Luke Plano had taken a good look at the program.
 
"I knew there was a lot of speed in there and I didn't want to rough my horse up too much in the early going," said Plano.  "So I was going to sort of watch behind the gate to see what everyone else was going."
 
With the field sent on their way, Plano got the first of a couple surprises.
 
"There was nobody really on the gate, so I opted to go to Plan-A which was to go right to the front."
 
Getting the lead an eighth of a mile past the start, Plano and his charge reached the quarter-mile pole, timed in a quick :28.1.
 
"We went a touch more than maybe I wanted to go, but he did it comfortably - - so I wasn't really concerned at that point."
 
Pacing an easier second-quarter into a :57.3 first-half, Plano soon urged his gelding some at the five-eighths mile station, then urged him more and popped the earplugs to the midway point of the final-turn when Grandpa Stevie (Rich Wojcio) pocket pulled.  Did this move surprise the young Plano?
 
"Yeah, I figured Rich (Wojcio) would stay in a little longer and stay on my back after what happened last week when he pocket pulled at the three-quarters and got by me - - but then I was able to come back.  As a result, I asked my horse to pick it up as I didn't want to get headed like I did last week."
 
Digging in quickly this week and meeting the challenge of Grandpa Stevie to the three-quarter mile marker, timed in 1:26.2, Plano knew one thing for sure.
 
"I didn't know where everybody else was, but I knew my horse still felt awfully strong."
 
Edging clear into the stretch and under urging, there'd be no catching the pacer.
 
"When we got into the lane I really asked him to get into gear and he responded strongly and paced away a little bit when I asked.  He may have slowed down a tiny bit near the wire, but it was deserving because it was a strong mile for him," finished Plano.
 
Clearing holding firm, the tough to beat four year-old won by 1-3/4-lengths.  Bred and owned by Lee & Arlene Gellerman in partnership with Cyril & Lola Green, the Rick Plano pacer stopped the timer at 1:54.4, a seasonal best.  Grandpa Stevie was second best once again, and Hanover D G (James Kennedy) finished another 1-3/4-lengths farther back, in third.
 
For Luke Plano, the victory was the middle portion of a consecutive driving triple.  It also marked the fifth straight card in which Plano has recorded as least three wins (18).  Additionally, it marked the seventh straight program in which Plano has won at least twice on a card.
 
Claiming pacers were also featured a little earlier on the card, on which Western Hurricane wouldn't be denied.
 
Coming away in fourth position from post-six in the field of six for driver James Kennedy, the pair sat as usual through first-half fractions of :28.2 & :58.2.
 
Moving first-over with just less than 5-16ths of a mile to go, the six year-old found himself four-lengths from the lead at the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:27.3 - - then was three-wide into the lane while being driven and moving forward.
 
With the field now at mid-stretch and the gelding now under all-out urging, the son of Western Hanover gamely got going and soon accelerated to the wire to win ($8.80) by a neck.  Owned by Lili Tremblay and trained by Nathalie Tremblay, Western Hurricane scored in 1:56.  Persuade Me (Jim Lackey) finished in second, and Dugout Andee (Rich Wojcio) finished just a nose farther back, in third.
 
"He's always good in the stretch," stated driver James Kennedy.  "But tonight I had to urge him a little stronger - - which may have been because I had to come first-up as opposed to usually sitting until the stretch.  But he's my kind of horse in that he's a great finishing horse and was 110 percent game in deep-stretch to get the job done," concluded Kennedy.
 
Live racing continues at Cal-Expo on Friday (September 3) at 7:10 p.m. (PDT) and Saturday (September 4) at 6:50 p.m.  On Friday and every live card, Cal-Expo offers free parking & free admission after 4:30 pm.   Also on Friday, Cal-Expo offers Happy Hour between 6:00-8:30 p.m., where $2 Beer, $2 Wine & $2 Buffalo Wings an order is offered.
 
Beginning this Saturday (September 4) and every Saturday to follow, Cal-Expo will offer a reduced 15 percent takeout rate on both the Early & Late Pick-4 wagers.  Additionally, the Late Pick-4 will have a $10,000 gross guaranteed pool.