HARNESS RACING : Odds Against Rallies to Win

Odds Against has raced in the shadow of his undefeated stablemate Artsplace throughout the year, but Saturday night he had the spotlight to himself in winning the $100,000 American Pacing Classic at Los Alamitos by 3 1/2 lengths.

The victory was the 5-year-old’s ninth in 18 starts this year. In any other season, he would be a leading contender for older pacing horse, but this year he has finished behind Artsplace, who is unbeaten in 14 starts this year.

After the two finished first and second in a race in Chicago in August, trainer Bob McIntosh split his stable, sending Artsplace to Ontario, Canada, and Odds Against to California. It was well worth it.

Odds Against won the first leg of the Pacing Classic on Sept. 12, finished second to Heavy Tipper on Sept. 19 and won Saturday’s final easily. He was timed in 1:52, the second-fastest pacing mile in track history. The fastest, 1:51 2/5, was set by TK’s Skipper in the 1990 American Pacing Classic. TK’s Skipper finished fourth in Saturday’s race.

Odds Against trailed the field for the first half-mile before moving to the outside on the backstretch.

Driver Bill O’Donnell, who has commuted to California from New Jersey each week to drive Odds Against, moved the horse three-wide on the final turn and won easily, finishing 3 1/2 lengths ahead of One Bad Boy, who was three-quarters of a length in front of El Camino Real. The remainder of the field was TK’s Skipper, Nuclear Siren, Clancy, Heavy Tipper and Kenwood Don.

“He loves those kind of (races),” said Lynda Lewis, who is Bob McIntosh’s assistant trainer. “He loves to come from the outside.”

Heavy Tipper, who is owned by Jim Coats of Citrus Heights, took the early lead, despite his outside post position. He set a fast pace, but faded after half a mile.

Clancy, who was driven by former Los Alamitos champion Joe Anderson, took the lead briefly on the backstretch but was challenged by El Camino Real. With an eighth of a mile remaining, O’Donnell had Odds Against in contention.

“I didn’t want to get in a big speed duel because he doesn’t like to race on the front end,” O’Donnell said.

Odds Against, who has earned $1,185,495, returned $2.80, $2.40 and $2.20. One Bad Boy paid $5.80 and $3.20, and El Camino Real, who is owned by Larry Alterman of Temecula, paid $4.20 to show.

According to O’Donnell, Odds Against will race at Lexington, Ky., in early October before meeting up with Artsplace in the Breeder’s Crown at Mohawk Raceway in Ontario, Canada, next month.