He didn't fire his best in his last when he was off 15 days. But that wasn't the case this week as Ivegotwhatuneed blazed by his foes
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Winners Over pacers, racing for a $4,500 purse, were featured at Cal Expo on Saturday night (September 17), in which Ivegotwhatuneed won for the 35th time in his career. In advance of starting from Post 5 in the field of the same number as a result of Got The Giggles being scratched, the look to this race took on a whole new meaning.
"Because of Got The Giggles being scratched with all the speed that she has, I didn't know what my strategy was going to be," stated driver Lemoyne Svendsen. "I was just going to make up my mind as the crow flew -- all while having a good chance."
Choosing to leave and advance one spot while tucking in fourth an eighth of a mile past the start, Svendsen was pleased with the opening quarter mile.
"I was happy with the :28.2 because it was an honest pace for those type of horses."
With no second-quarter pace, however, did this concern Svendsen at the half-mile station, timed in :57.1?
"I wasn't worried that the pace had slowed down because my horse was feeling good."
On the move without cover with 7/16ths of a mile to go, Svendsen had a couple of possible issues to deal with.
"When we started into that turn, he kind of ran in and I almost grabbed the wheel of Western So [and Jim Lackey] and I had to jump [hip-check] the cart. Then when I got him going and he got close to Haggin Oaks, her driver James Kennedy thought of and looked like he was coming out and I had to grab into my horse so he didn't run over her if she came out -- which caused my horse to throw his head."
Now racing with momentum to the midway point of the final-turn, Svendsen asked for a little more to the three-quarter mile pole when he popped the earplugs of his obliging eight year-old.
"When he's good and you pull those plugs -- that's what he does every time -- he just gasses off."
Taking off when asked and now drawing even with the pacesetting Stanza (Steve Wiseman) at the three-quarter mile marker, timed in 1:26, Svendsen could see the writing on the wall.
"I knew I was going by -- there was no doubt about that. There was also no doubt I was a jog-burger."
Powering to the lead very late in the final turn and immediately pouring it on into the lane while opening two and a half lengths, the gelding soon was three lengths to the good with an eighth of a mile to go.
"He was just absolutely strong through the stretch."
Owned by Marty Garey in partnership with trainer Bob Johnson, Ivegotwhatuneed, under some urging until late, won ($5.20) by two and three-quarter lengths, in 1:54. Haggin Oaks put in a burst of late speed with pace to finish in second, and Stanza fought hard in the lane to hold third, another one and a quarter lengths farther back.
"It was a typical race for him in a good way and way better than last week," finished a chuckling Svendsen, who recorded five wins on the 15-race program.
For Bob Johnson, the victory was the start of four training-owning victories.
Also recording four triumphs on the card was driver Steve Wiseman.
(Cal Expo)