A string of four consecutive runner-up finishes was not stretched out into five for trotter Andover Hall on Friday night. He finally had everything go his way to capture the program's $9,500 featured event

and a life's mark of 1:56 in the process.

The four-year-old Andover Hall-Armbro Array gelding is trained by Stewart Nemiro for McTrade Enterprises of Davie, FL. With Bruce Ranger in tow, Andover America was at his hard-closing best to edge away after fast fractions were laid down by Karpathos in rein to Wally Hennessey. Talk About Me, partnered by Matt Kakaley, shook loose late for the place position with Karpathos holding third.

Andover America, who earned almost $80,000 as a two-year-old but did not race in 2008 at age three, thus recorded his fifth win in 21 starts this year. His life's bankroll now stands at over $112,000.

Fern Paquet, Jr. shared the Friday evening program's top driver honours with Bruce Ranger and Tom Sells as each man reined in a pair of winners.

Both of Tom Sells’ driving victories on the card were with starters from the care of trainer Gaston Claude. These included former Kawartha Downs’ mainstay trotter PC Moonshine who stepped to a life's mark of 1:56.4 over a $5,900 purse conditioned group and former Rideau Carleton competitor Ornellaia Dream who shared a win dead heat in a claiming trot with the Macomber stable's Smokey Yankee.

Joe Pavia, Jr., fresh from a Hawaiian vacation which followed his Meet championship in the bike at Pocono Downs, notched his first win since arriving at Pompano as he reined in three-year-old claiming pace filly Star Studded Gun in a life's best 1:55.2 for owner Mary Gilbert and co-owner/trainer Geoff Howles.

Hallett Rewarded For Generous Gesture

A turn of good fortune seemed in order for the Michelle and John Hallett Stable at Pompano Park on the Friday evening program and they were rewarded with a win.

John has reached deep into his personal collection of whips carried over the years by many of the sport's greatest reinsman in numerous rich and historic victories for auction on Sunday in support of those suffering losses in the Lebanon (Ohio) Raceway barn fire.

Claiming trotter Carrythemail Devie sat just behind fast fractions and edged away in the stretch to record a life's mark of 1:59.3 on the Friday evening, December 11 program with Wally Hennessey in tow. It was the fourth win in 32 trips this year for the four-year-old Muscles Yankee-You Have Mail gelding co-owned by Jim Donahue of Boca Raton, FL.

Hallett, originally from New Brunswick, splits his stable's racing schedule between Tioga Downs in the Summer and Pompano Park for the balance of the year. The whip auction is being staged at the Florida Breeders annual yearling and mixed sale commencing at noon on Sunday on the Pompano backstretch just inside stable gate 5.

For anyone unable to attend in person, Hallett will take bids on the whips up for auction on the phone at 1-570-417-8543. All proceeds will go the registered Lebanon Horsemen's Relief Fund.

(Pompano Park)