He
may have been the oldest horse in the race by three years, but that didn't stop
the 11 year-old Alpine Hawk from repeating.
Seven
trotters, six in on a condition, one to be claimed, were featured at Cal Expo
on Friday night (February 17) for a purse of $3,800, on which Alpine Hawk, the
only horse in for a tag, scored.
Coming
away in third position from post one in the field of seven, driver Rich Wojcio
wasted no time when he moved his trotter to the outside an eighth of a mile
past the start.
"I
moved at the point I did because I thought if I didn't that Mooney (Lemoyne
Svendsen) would move at that point with Franks Best - - which meant I'd either
have to sit in or go first-over," stated Wojcio.
Obtaining
the lead just after 5-16ths of a mile off a :30 second opening quarter, did
Wojcio use his charge?
"I
used him a little to clear, but it didn't concern me because we had a long way
to go."
Controlling
the tempo once on the lead and reaching the half-mile juncture, timed in
1:00.1, Wojcio was optimistic.
"I
thought I had as good a chance as any at that point."
Showing
his gelding the whip with 7-16ths of a mile to go, Wojcio had good reason.
"I
just wanted to have him prepared in case Franks Best came because Franks Best
has that strong brush. When I showed him
the whip, I thought my horse picked up the pace a bit. Then I popped the earplugs past the
five-eighths mile marker to keep him prepared."
Still
being rated while reaching the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:30, Wojcio
showed respect for his competition.
"I
thought I could possibly win from there, but I had Giles L S Hanover (Steve
Wiseman) on my back and he always fights in the stretch, plus Franks Best and
Meringue (Luke Plano) were going to come eventually."
Drawing
clear with 3-16ths of a mile to go, Alpine Hawk "looked" pretty good
with an eighth of a mile to trot.
"At
that point I felt pretty confident, but then with a sixteenth of a mile to go I
thought there was a possibility I'd get beat as Giles L S Hanover was
gaining. The wire, however, came up
actually just in time for my horse and that made him a winner."
Owned
by Jim Winske and trained by Gordie Graham, Alpine Hawk won ($7.40) under late
urging by a long neck, in 1:58.3, thus recording his 44th triumph. Giles L S Hanover was a close second, and
Franks Best finished one-length farther back, in third.
"He
always gives his best and always tries hard and I thought he put in an
excellent effort. Once again, without my
girlfriend Meredith’s care, and his tenacity, he not only probably wouldn't be
winning - - he probably wouldn't be racing. Meredith is the key to this horse and makes my
job easy as he’s a very nice horse to drive," finished Wojcio.
On
the 14-race card, leading driver Luke Plano won half the races, giving him 12
wins over the last two programs (28 races).
Live
racing continues at Cal Expo on Saturday (February 18) at 6:00 p.m. (PST). On Saturday, Cal Expo offers Happy Hour from
4:00-7:00 p.m. on which Beer; Well Drinks & Wine are offered at $4 each,
while Hotdogs, Fries & Sodas are offered at $2 apiece.
Cal
Expo currently offers a reduced 15 percent takeout rate on all Pick 4’s
(Thursday/Friday nights in partnership with the USTA Strategic Wagering
Committee). On Saturday night, the Late
Pick 4 will come with a $10,000-guaranteed pool. Additionally, there will be a 0% takeout on
successful Late Pick 4 tickets made at Cal Expo or at Twinspires.com.
In
addition to both Pick 4’s at Cal Expo continuing to offer a reduced 15 percent
takeout rate, beginning February 24, the Late Pick 4’s on Friday and Saturday
will come with an increased $15,000-guaranteed gross pool.
Also
starting that weekend, the Friday Late Pick 4 will offer a 0% takeout on all
winning wagers made on track or at Twinspires.com, while the Saturday Late Pick
4 will be broadcast on TVG.
