The Saturday, October 15 program at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park was the first night of major league speed in the new meet and it was accompanied by winner's circle ceremonies to honour the top trainer and driver from last season in South Florida
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Director Of Racing Operations John Yinger made the commemorative trophy presentations to Peter Pellegrino and Wally Hennessey.
In the 2010-11 season, Pellegrino topped the trainers' standings with 67 winners for purse earnings of over $343,000.
"The racing here dollar for dollar is tough as anywhere in the entire business and I'm expecting it to remain that way again for the upcoming season," said Peter Pellegrino in a live trackside TV interview. "Classifying your horses right means so much here at Pompano and I'd say it's one of the most important aspects of racing a stable here."
For the 2010-11 campaign, Hennessey was atop the drivers' standings with 239 wins for almost $1.4 million in purses.
"It's coming up on the 25th anniversary that I first came to Pompano from Prince Edward Island just to see if I might be able to make it here," Hennessey observed when receiving his award. "It was great to win a drivers' title here, but I have to compliment my fellow driver Bruce Ranger for the way he's come back from his injuries in April. He's had a long run of titles here too and Bruce is at the top of a long list of guys that make this one of the best driving colonies anywhere to be found in harness racing."
The October 15 program also witnessed the first night of the kind of major speed Pompano is often famous for with near tropical conditions prevailing. Half of the winners on the Saturday night card turned in lifetime best performances, and topping that list was Ricks Sign with a dominant 1:51.2 spin in the $12,000 purse Open Handicap Pace. Fern Paquet Jr. was in the bike to to post fractions of :27.2, :55.4, and 1:23.4 en route to the 1:51.2 clocking. The Life Sign-Last Flower six-year-old gelding is trained by Paul Holzman for owner Andrew Sassen of Hillsboro Beach, Florida. The life's mark effort was the 11th win in 32 trips this year for Ricks Sign and pushed his life's earnings past $162,000. Tough Trooper, with Wally Hennessey in tow, followed in the pocket for second and Monet CC, partnered by Kelly Case, held third.
The Florida Standardbred Breeders And Owners Association (FSBOA) Stallion Stakes came to a conclusion with a $28,500 purse for the two-year-old colt and gelding pace in a non-wagering event before the 10-race regular card.
Goldstar Raider, a gelded son of Rock On-Tonys Silveraider, was outstanding in a two-move effort to stop the clock in a life's mark performance of 1:54 over Diamond Cowboy (Wally Hennessey) and Last Chance T (Fern Paquet Jr.). Mike Micallef was in the bike for breeder, owner and trainer Tom Audley of Bell, Florida.
The FSBOA's Sales Stakes begin on Monday evening with only the Breeders Stakes remaining after that on the November 5 'Super Night' at the South Florida plant.
(With files from Pompano Park)