His
owners had to be deliriously happy when their beloved Los Angeles Kings met up
with Lord Stanley on Monday night (June 11), so why not end the week with their
Putoneonnetformom having his “Cup” runneth
over as well.
Winners-Over
trotters, racing for a $6,800 purse, were featured at Cal Expo on Friday night
(June 15), on which Putoneonnetformom never looked back.
In
advance of starting well outside his five opponents, driver James Kennedy knew
his post was an issue.
"I
thought being assigned the 10-hole was a very tough assignment and I didn't
know what or how I was going to do it." stated Kennedy.
With
the field sent on their way, Kennedy left his with trotter, but four others
were also forward off the gate, so Kennedy tucked in fifth at the eighth.
"The
plan was to make them believe that I was going to leave and make other drivers
force the issue, which would allow me plenty of room between the ten-hole and
the one-hole to duck my horse back. If
my plan worked, then I knew Rich Wojcio would leave with Alpine Hawk and Luke
Plano would leave with Dreaming Of Amy, and that meant they'd have to use their
horses a little bit. Originally, my
intentions were actually to not go to the inside, but just to save my horse
because I know that Wojcio's M.O. with any horse is to make the front and slow
down. So once Dreaming Of Amy cleared
and Alpine Hawk was about to clear her, I was going to make my charge to the
front."
On
the move to a :28.4 first-quarter, the eight year-old made the front at the
7-16ths mile marker while not getting pushed by Alpine Hawk. Still, did Kennedy use his charge with the
two moves and a :28 second-quarter?
"I
didn't use him to make the lead because I didn't use him at the start of the
race as I was saving him just to make the move to the top. At the half, the plan was working exactly as
I had hoped and I was feeling pretty comfortable about my chances."
Leading
by two-lengths on the final-turn until Alpine Hawk narrowed the margin just to
the three-quarter mile station (1:27.3), Did Kennedy feel as confident with the
stretch closing Alpine Hawk lurking in the pocket?
"My
horse felt pretty strong and I felt I still had a very good chance."
With
the field now very late in the final-turn, Kennedy knew it was time for more.
"I
saved the earplugs for just that point of the mile and when I popped them I
also asked him to go and he responded very quickly."
Drawing
clear by two-lengths with 3-16ths of a mile to go, then getting urged from
before the seven-eighths mile pole on, Kennedy soon had to deal with Alpine
Hawk who was starting to surge with a sixteenth of a mile left to trot, or did
he?
"I
really wasn't sure Alpine Hawk was going to get by me because my only concern
at that point was to drive on my horse all the way through the wire. I couldn't ask for him to race any better
than he did in the last sixteenth."
Under
an all-out drive, the gelding dug in to win ($5.20) by a long neck. Bred & owned by Jeff, Jerry & Diana
Cimini, the Rocky Stidham trained trotter stopped the timer at 1:57, a lifetime
mark. Alpine Hawk had to settle for
second, and Dreaming Of Amy finished 1-1/2 lengths farther back, in third.
"Last
week I thought was the best race he had raced for me. This week he topped that by far - - he was
awesome. I can't thank the Cimini's
enough for letting me drive him through most of the winter-spring meet - - it
has been a great opportunity," finished Kennedy, who in 17 drives behind
Putoneonnetformom since December 31,
2011, had 7 wins, 6 seconds, and 4 thirds.
Live
racing continues at Cal Expo on closing night, Saturday (June 16) at 6:00 p.m.
(PDT). 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. Saturday’s action will include
the simulcast of the entire North America Cup program from Mohawk Raceway,
highlighted by the $1.5 million fixture for 3-year-old pacers.
Cal
Expo offers a reduced 15 percent takeout rate on all Pick 4’s. Additionally, the Late Pick 4, which will
have a mandatory payoff, has a $20,000-guaranteed gross pool, and will be
broadcast on TVG.
