With drives in 17 of the 20 races in the upcoming Friday and Saturday cards at The Isle Pompano Park, David Ingraham stands a great chance to edge up to the 6,000 career win plateau

. He stands at 5,994 lifetime wins in the bike heading into this weekend’s action in South Florida.

“I think the big thing you learn as the years roll by is to respect power,” Ingraham says. “To me that means not only knowing when you probably have the best horse in a race but just as importantly it means learning to not overdrive your horse the rest of the time.”

His top mounts on the Friday evening program (October 9) are with Earlivic in the $13,000 Open-2 Trot and with Golden Falcon N in the $13,000 Mares Open Pace. On Saturday night (October 10) he has eight more weekend assignments which include the drives with Sir Beach Dragon in the $8,500 Open-2 Pace and with Golden Mattjesty in the $13,000 Open Pace. On the meet’s opening card in September, Ingraham stated in a trackside TV interview that he and his wife Kelly Case shipped a stable of ten horses to Florida from Rockingham Park for the current meet.

Ingraham has actually had two extended tours of duty at The Isle Pompano Park. He campaigned in South Florida from 1987-94 and then concentrated on New York State for five years before returning to his annual split schedule between Rockingham and Pompano. He says the recent win by pacing filly Bling in the Florida Sunshine State Stakes was one of the top two memorable drives in his career to date.

“That filly really impressed me because she seemed as strong at the finish as she was leaving the gate,” Ingraham recalled. “It was one heck of an effort for her to pace to within just one-fifth of the track record held by Miss Easy at 1:52.2 since 1991. Probably the top drive of my career overall was winning the Cane Pace in 1995 at Yonkers for a purse of over $384,000 when we weren’t expected to. I sat third over with a 26-1 outsider named Mattgilla Gorilla and we outbrushed the 1-9 favorite David’s Pass to win.” That upset was also the highlight of his best career year to date when he won 403 times for purses surpassing $2.7 million.

David Ingraham credits the example of his main mentor from his home state of Maine, 64 year old horseman Leigh Fitch, as the foundation for his own career longevity and success which will soon see him surpass $20 million in purse earnings in the bike.

“Leigh has driven almost 7,500 winners himself and he taught me so much. To state it briefly I try to concentrate on avoiding mistakes and giving the other drivers and horses any advantage that they haven’t really earned,” David says. “And do all drivers, or myself in particular, get better with age? Great question. In my case I’d have to say it’s true. And I hope that will continue to be the case for the years ahead too.”

Post time at The Isle Pompano Park is 7:05 p.m. The Friday and Saturday schedule is expanded to include Wednesday racing on October 14. Monday cards join the agenda on November 2 and racing five nights per week at the South Florida plant will begin when Tuesday cards commence on December 1.

(Pompano)