Although The Isle Pompano Park is by far the southernmost harness track on the continent it has not escaped the prolonged cold wave blanketing the continent
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The temperature at race time on Wednesday evening, January 6 was 48 degrees (9C.) and South Florida was under an extremely rare wind chill warning down to 27 degrees (-3C). The overnight forecast in Pompano Beach called for the record low of 41 degrees (1956) to be broken. For context, the long term averages usually see a high of 77 degrees and a low of 58 degrees at this time of year in the area.
"In my 25 years here I've never seen anything like it," says trainer Mike Deters. "Not only is it close to record cold but nobody can recall it being so cold here for such an extended time. Of course it's all relative. In Michigan or Toronto, 41 degrees at this time of year would be a nice relief but here it feels downright frigid to people."
Deters knows the comparison. The 47-year-old conditioner has been at the helm of one of the track's most consistent stables of late with purse earnings of almost $500,000 in each of the past three years. Originally from a racing family in Lima, Ohio, his alma matter is Michigan State University.
"I remember my years at Michigan State we'd rejoice and start sunbathing when it was 55 degrees in March or April," he recalled. "People just aren't accustomed to weather this cold for this long in South Florida. You take last weekend, that Open Pace group should usually go a mile in around 1:51 and the cold weather slowed them down by at least two seconds," he added.
"I've been here since 1988 and there was only a day or two of cold close to this around Christmas time my first year here," adds Paddock Judge Bobby Owens. "It's very rare to see the horses get extra blankets like they are right now and so many folks with gloves, coats and toques is really a rare sight too," he said.
John Berry, a 2009 inductee to the Goshen Hall Of Fame, also has a perspective on the unwelcome arctic blast extending to South Florida through the coming weekend.
"I've never seen anything like it," says Berry, the track's right hand man for broadcasting and publicity help along with his full time duties as Assistant Race Secretary. "In over thirty years here I don't remember a time when you could see your breath outside early in the morning for so many straight days like this."
Ashcroft Bucks The Bias
Gate-to-wire winners were a very rare sight on the Wednesday evening, January 6 program at The Isle Pompano Park due to the cold temperatures plunging to record threatening lows of just above the freezing mark.
One exception to the strong bias for closers on the 10-race card was Ashcroft. 73-year-old owner Celine Harvey of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania took over training duties on the Earl-Defiant Carla eight-year-old gelding after shipping to Florida from Pocono Downs in December.
Ashcroft was reunited with driver Kevin Sizer and the result was a confident score in 1:57 on a rare night at The Isle Pompano Park when the temperature plunged into the lower 40's. Sizer had driven the career winner of over $185,000 at Pocono as recently as October before the easy romp over a $4,500 purse conditioned group. A pair of 29-1 longshots, Wesleys Fortune with David Ingraham and Duke Of Stormont with Walt Ross Jr., followed Ashcroft under the wire.
The most impressive hard closing winner on the program was First Of Fun in the finale. Owner-trainer Dustin Ingraham stepped out of the bike in favour of his driving dad, David in the $4,000 claiming pace. The elder Ingraham, who marked the occasion of his 6,000th lifetime winning drive late in 2009, adeptly sat last in the early stages and then swept by all eight rivals. Dreamy, with Matt Kakaley up, and Art Mania, with Gaston Lareau, followed next under the wire.
In the coming weekend large fields have been attracted for a trio of $13,000 Open events. When racing resumes on Friday evening at 7:05 p.m., Bling and Esmeralda Semalu will occupy the outside gate positions in the full field of nine starters for the Fillies and Mares Open Pace.
(Pompano Park)