When business concludes Saturday, December 18 at Cal-Expo, Luke Plano will have wrapped up another driving title at the track, and by a pretty wide margin -- an accomplishment that is not lost on the 30-year-old pilot.
“I’m been extremely fortunate over the last couple of years to drive for outfits that give me very live horses, including those trained by my father,” said Plano, who came into this week with 1,740 victories. His mounts have also earned more than $6.7 million in career earnings.
Plano was asked if there was one area in particular where he feels he has improved the most during the season, and he was quick to come up with a response.
“No question, it’s my ability to know the other horses in the race, and that’s something a lot of people don’t think about when it comes to drivers.
“It comes with experience, because when you first start out you’re more concerned about other things, like how you’re sitting in the bike, the pace and where the horse is in the race. You also tend to second guess and doubt yourself when you first start out, but the more you’re out there, the less that happens.”
Plano feels he has gained some valuable experience not only in Sacramento, but competing at tracks of different sizes across the country. Cal-Expo is home for Plano, though, and winning the track's driving title for the both the spring and fall looks awfully good on the resume.
Of course, Plano still has a long way to go to match the figures posted by his father, Rick, who is the leader in the local drivers' room with his 5,624 trips to the winner’s circle and $22 million in the bank.
“I wish I still had a fraction of that money,” he likes to joke.
The $10,500 final of the Kaycees Doll Series will take place Friday at Cal-Expo, while the final of the Courageous Red Series will take place Saturday.
Following this weekend’s racing, the trotters and pacers will take a week off before returning to action at Cal-Expo on Thursday, December 30. There will be a special December 31 New Year’s Eve program at 3:40 p.m. (PST) and a January 1 card to officially welcome in the 2011 season.
Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Thursday, December 16 at 5:30 p.m. (PST) and will continue through Saturday, December 18. Approximate first-race post time on Friday, December 17 and Saturday is 5:40 p.m.
On Saturdays, Cal-Expo offers a reduced 15 per cent takeout rate on both the Early and Late Pick-4 wagers, with both Pick-4s now having a $10,000 gross-guaranteed pool.
(Cal-Expo)