Pompano Park will begin its second half-century of racing on Saturday night (October 4), and eight Sunshine State Stakes events and three Open events will highlight the action.
The top Open event features Prairie Jaguar, the only horse to record five wins in 1:50 or faster on Pompano’s five-eighths mile oval, including two wins in 1:49.
Owned by Laurie Poulin along with trainer Mike Deters, the six-year-old altered son of Spy Hard has banked over $75,000 this season and will have the driving services of newcomer Aaron Byron.
Byron, 25, comes into the action with 1,330 lifetime wins – 165 of those so far this year.
‘Jaguar’ has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favourite and is coupled with Ts Electric, fresh off of a 1:52.4 win at Tioga Downs featuring his last half in :54.3. Tom Sells will handle Ts Electric.
Also in the field is Northern Companion, trained by Howard Klohr for owner Dorothy Zarza.
‘Buddy,’ as he is known around the barn, has amassed 36 lifetime wins and $223,272 in lifetime bounty, including a mark of 1:50.3 recorded at Pompano last season.
Freshened up after a two-month vacation, Northern Companion comes into the action off of a handy qualifying win in 1:56.1. Mike Micallef will take the six-year-old to Pompano Park’s Hummer Starting Gate.
Damon Blue Chip, I Do Hanover and Cartoonist complete the talented field.
The Sunshine State Stakes covers Florida-bred two and three-year-olds, all of which are seeking a coveted spot on the FSBOA’s $400,000 (est.) Super Night in late November,
The pari-mutuel portion of the 13-race program will kick off with the class of three-year-old trotting fillies.
Jay Sears’ Markie, last year’s two-year-old champion, has been dominant this far in her sophomore class, scoring victories in her only two starts this year—both measuring 20 or more lengths—with her last win in a lifetime best 2:00.1.
Bob Roberts will be in the bike for trainer Kim Sears. Markie has been labeled the 4-5 morning line favourite in her event.
Beauty in the Bridle Stable’s Limelight will tangle with eight others in her division for three-year-old pacing fillies.
The talented daughter of Cracking Light comes to Pompano Park off of a pair of dominant wins in Sunshine State Stakes action at Sunshine Meadows.
Tom Sells will handle the filly’s lines for trainer Rosie Huff.
In the two-year-old events for trotting colts and geldings, Railee Workable and Victory Park have been locking horns, with each scoring a win against the other at the recently-concluded, two-session affair at Sunshine Meadows. Joining the fray this time around is first-time starter Prairie Fortune, coming off a very sharp qualifying event at Tioga Downs, where he was, literally, nosed out in 2:02.
Railee Workable, a son of Basil, is trained by Lou Ginesi for owners Ken Fritz and Fred Morosini and will have Mickey McNichol in the bike.
Victory Park is owned by the consortium of Turcotte, Howard, Roccasano and Ruggles and will have Bruce Ranger in the sulky for trainer Mel Turcotte.
Two-year-old pacing fillies will also take the spotlight on opening night with Paxxie and Gold Star Dynasty renewing their rivalry.
Paxxie, the sharp-looking Six Of Diamonds lass owned by trainer Warren Harp along with Joan Harp, beat Gold Star Dynasty by a neck the first time around at Sunshine Meadows in stakes action with Warren in the bike.
The next week, ‘Dynasty,’ also a Six Of Diamond filly, owned by trainer Tom Audley, turned the tables on Paxxie, scoring the neck decision over her main rival in a lifetime best 2:01.1 for Walter Ross Jr.
Paxxie is listed at 8-5, while Gold Star Dynasty is tabbed at 9-5 on the morning line.
Amante Standardbreds’ Caesars Forum, trained by Marc Aubin, appears to have the upper hand in his division for juvenile pacing colts and geldings.
The talented son of Six Of Diamonds is, thus far, sports a perfect two-for-two scorecard to go along with a lifetime best 2:00.3--:58.3 performance at Sunshine Meadows.
Bruce Ranger will take Caesars Jackpot postward in his Sunshine Stakes event.
Pompano will offer the popular 20-cent superfecta on all races with the highly anticipated Super Hi-5 expected to be added to the racing programs in the very near future.
Post time for the pari-mutuel program is 7:30 p.m. while four non-betting Sunshine State Stakes events get underway at 6:15 p.m.
(Pompano)