Rivals Can’t Catch Skeet Load

Rick Plano showed that you can’t let a quality trotter go an easy first half-mile and then expect to catch him. Plano and Skeet Load controlled the early tempo in Tuesday night’s Invitational Trot at Los Alamitos and then trotted away from the field with a blistering :56 4/5 final half to win in 1:58 1/5.

The 5-year-old Skeet Load was fastest off the gate, and even-money favorite Table Card dropped into the second spot in a moderately paced :29 2/5 first quarter. Then Plano put on the brakes and coasted to a :32 second quarter, giving him all the rest he needed for the sprint home. Facing pressure from Fames Star just after the half, Plano unleashed a blistering :27 4/5 third quarter on the field of seven and faced only moderate pressure from Fames Star in the stretch.

The 5-to-2 second choice paid $7.00 to win, Fames Star and driver Joe Anderson were second and paid $4.60. Table Card was able to hang on to third with track record-holder Magic Moose fourth.