With TVG expanding Pompano Park's visibility on Monday night, the south Florida oval hosted four classes - three off the betting card - of the FSBOA sponsored Stallion Stakes along with their weekly top Open event for mares.
The first non-wagering affair, the $23,500 Stallion Stake for two year-old trotting fillies, went to the Proud Bushy lass Brandy, surviving challenges on both sides of her girth to score a narrow win over Zendaya (Bob Roberts) and Livy M (Tom Sells) in 2:04.1, a lifetime best performance.
Owned by Jay and Kim Sears and trained by Kim, the youngster showed solid determination as her challengers surrounded her late in the mile to score by a head to push her scorecard to 3-2-0 in just five lifetime starts while bumping her earnings to $22,821.
In the second event off the card for three year-old trotting colts and geldings, the Wewering gelding Showing Off did just that for driver Bob Roberts in scoring a win in a lifetime best 2:00.3, his winning margin measured at 11-1/4 lengths over Geronimo Fame (Bruce Ranger) with Midnight Michael (Rob Hoffman) next and Gator On Patrol (Bob Williams, Jr.) finishing fourth in the quartet. But that story was far from complete.
Though the lines show him being the leader at every pole, Showing Off actually inherited the top spot when Geronimo Fame made a miscue shortly before the opener. The latter then regained his composure and rallied to be second, but the judges saw an incident at the top of the lane and, when the official results were posted. Midnight Michael was moved up a notch, as was Gator On Patrol with Geronimo placed to the back.
For Showing Off, though, it was his fourth success in just five starts this semester, vaulting his earnings to $21,342 for the year and $67,724 lifetime. for owners Richard and Sandra Dunmire, who own along with Jay Sears.
That win completed a "double" for trainer Kim Sears, but she wasn't quite finished just yet.
The final event off the card was won by Jay Sears' Markie, also trained by Kim Sears, giving her the hat trick.
This three-year-old daughter of Proud Bushy was fifth (and last) early on but, once in the lane for the first time, rushed up to take the lead three-eighths into the mile and went on to romp home a winner by 11-1/2 lengths for Bob Roberts. Last Match T (Rob Hoffman) was second while Gold Star Ginger (Wally Ross, Jr.) was next. Trotting JC Poss was fourth with Super Luna picking up the nickel in the quintet.
While her mile was clocked in 2:00.4, it was not quite a lifetime mark - that being 2:00.1 at Sunshine Meadows - but it extended her unblemished record in 2014 to five. She's also won eight straight going back to when she took home the two year-old Florida bred crown. Markie now has $81,800 in lifetime bounty - $24,100 of that this season.
On the card were two divisions of the $30,500 Stallion Stake for juvenile trotting colts and geldings and there were minor upsets in both.
In the opener, the solid-gaited Railee Workable, owned by Fred Morosini along with Ken Fritz, stayed out of trouble by taking command just past the opening panel and went on to score a handy eight length win for Mickey McNichol in 2:02.2. This youngster is by Basil, trained by Lou Ginesi, and now sports a scorecard of 3-1-0 in four starts with earnings of $14,464.
Trotting Miduhyo and Donald Dupont teamed up for place honours while Gold Star Kevin, with Wally Ross, Jr. in the bike, third. Carter was fourth in the mile while odds-on favourite Prairie Fortune made a very early miscue and was well back the entire route.
Second choice in the wagering, Railee Workable paid $4.40 to win.
The second division for the two year-old colts and geldings went to Victory Park, an altered son of Arapa Victory, driven by Bruce Ranger, who tracked the favourite RJs Iron Man (Bob Williams, Jr.) to nail the latter in the final strides for the win in 2:04.3, a new lifetime mark. Harrison (Mickey McNichol) finished third while Saturn was moved up a notch to fourth, as was BJs Tebow to fifth, this after Rocco Dangerous decided to pace most of his mile.
Second choice on the board at 2-1 (Iron Man was 3-5), the backers of Victory Park were rewarded with a $6.20 mutuel while owners Barbara Turcotte, Victoria Howard, Peter Roccasano and Ron Ruggles were rewarded with the winner's share of the $15,500 purse, sending his earnings to $11,222 in his four career starts.
Finally, in the $10,000 Open Pace for the distaffers, Mach Me Not, handled by Dan Clements, got the jump on favoured Winbak Heavenly mid-way around the final turn to score a handy win measuring 2-3/4 lengths. The pacesetting Bombilla Hanover, cutting panels of :27.4, :56.3 and 1:25.2 finished third in the mile, which was clocked in 1:54.
The tough eight-year-old Mach Three mare, owned by the S S G Stables won for the fifth time this year and for the 26th time in her career. She pushed her lifetime earnings to $289,612.
After the event, driver Dan Clements had high praise for the mare and her trainer.
"Jim (trainer McDonald) really has had her sharp the last several starts since she arrived at Pompano Park,” said Clements. “She had been second her last four starts but really racing tough. You know, some times when you ask your horse to get, either they have it or they don't. Tonight, I asked her and she just about said, 'Yeah, I am ready to rock and roll for you'...and she did just that. She just exploded with pace when I asked!"
As fourth choice in her quintet of mares, Mach Me Not paid $15.60 to win.
(Pompano Park)