Pompano Park hosted a pair of $11,500 Open events on Tuesday night (March 2), with Timon AS and Casies Believer taking top honours in their respective races.
Timon AS, handled by Peter Wrenn, stepped up to the top tier for trotters after a pair of wins in the highest claiming ranks and went on to blow by his stout competition in the Open Handicap Trot in a lifetime best 1:53.1, eclipsing his former mark of 1:54 over the larger seven-eighths-mile track at Hoosier Park last season.
The five-year-old altered son of Lionhunter roared by the pacesetting Muscles For Life (Wally Hennessey) at mid-stretch and scored by a widening 2-1/2 lengths with Born To Thrive (Rick Plano) third, six lengths away.
The month of March roared in at Pompano Park when the tiny Skip To My Lou came in like a lion to take top honours in Monday s (March 1) $11,000 Open Handicap Pace.
The five-year-old gelded son of Sweet Lou got picture perfect handling from 21-year-old Joe Chindano Jr. to score a two-length win in 1:51, his fifth in seven seasonal starts.
Rebellious (Wally Hennessey) was second after cutting much of the mile while Alluneedisfaith N (Mike Simons) was another neck back in third.
As the wings folded, Skip To My Lou, usually content to work from off the pace, changed strategy this night and push the gate out of his way to take the field through a hot :26.3 opening panel before Rebellious took over once they straightened away the first time. Rebellious then carded subsequent panels of :55.4 and 1:23.3 and turned for home with a length advantage which began to melt as Skip To My Lou left the cozy pocket and began gnawing away before taking charge midway through the stretch.
Lucky Artist A, superbly handled by Mike Simons, painted her way to a repeat win in Pompano Park s $10,500 Open Pace for mares on Tuesday night (Feb. 23), stopping the timer in 1:51.4.
The eight-year-old daughter of Artistic Fella took charge around the opening turn from her outside post and sawed through panels of :27.3 and :56 before a :55.4 half-mile sprint home to reach the finish line 1-1/4 lengths the best over Prairie Westerngal (Wally Hennessey) and Casies Believer (Joe Chindano Jr.).
As the wings folded, Prairie Westerngal used her blazing hooves off the wings to zip into an early lead with Lucky Artist A, leaving two slots farther out, now on the prowl to take charge midway around the opening turn.
Rebellious and In Secret shared the spotlight with wins in their respective Open Handicap events at Pompano Park on Monday (Feb. 22).
Rebellious, again handled by Wally Hennessey for trainer Mike Deters, who co-owns with Joel Warner, scored in the $11,000 feature for the pacers in 1:51.4, using a :27.1 finale to hold Alluneedisfaith N (Mike Simons) safe by a length. Seeing Eye Single (David Miller) was third, 2-1/2 lengths away, after an evenly rated effort.
Rebellious, a seven-year-old gelded son of Mach Three, took charge around the opening turn and set fractions of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:24.3 along the way to score his third win in four 2021 starts and 44th success in a career that saw his lifetime bounty vault to $340,206.
In an event that took the photo finish camera to separate five mares within a neck of each other at the finish line, Prairie Westerngal and driver Wally Hennessey emerged victorious in Pompano Park’s $10,500 Open I-II Handicap on Tuesday night (Feb. 16), covering the mile in 1:52.3.
The win gave trainer Mike Deters his second feature win in roughly 24 hours after his Rebellious took top honours in the similar event for the boys on Monday night (Feb. 15).
The official margin of victory was a head, with the fast-closing Take Abit Of Life (Mike Simons) second, and Crisp Mane (David Miller), Tempus Seelster and Ask Me Ifi Care next all separated by noses.