Veteran trainer Geoff Howles says he's likely to request that a supply of oxygen be ready for him after the next big winning effort by his three-year-old gelding, Hurricane Howard

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"It's tough to get my heart rate back down but he surprised us all and won," a hugely relieved Howles declared in the winner's circle at the Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park on Saturday night, May 8. Hurricane Howard had just front-ended the field to win the $14,000 final of The Springboard Pacing Series, a new late closer in South Florida for non-winners of two as of March 15, 2010.

"I thought he'd been making breaks because of EPM, and I guessed right and treated him for it early this week," Howles explained. "He warmed up poorly tonight but it was too late to scratch him. He tested [driver] Wally Hennessey a lot out there since he was rough leaving and then was running in on the last turn. But all told I'm really proud of him and now we can keep fine tuning him," Howles added.

The Mannart Howard-Extravagant Sahbra gelding fashioned a life's mark of 1:54.4 after laying down fractions of :28, :56.4, and 1:25.2. Hurricane Howard staved off the first over middle stages bid from Cracker Cana, in rein to Terry McIntyre. That rival finished fourth with Pennthouse and Richard Simard coming off cover for second and the pocket-sitting Codys Honor and Kevin Wallis finishing third.

"I'm originally from Michigan and really enjoy racing seasonally at Pompano," said Howles of his decades of experience in the Sunshine State. "After the season ends here I'm hoping to get stall space at Saratoga where Dan and Wally Hennessey have put in a good word for me."

Howles has sent out 15 winners from 100 starters in the 2009-2010 meet. The purse share from this win by Hurricane Howard sends his training earnings from this campaign past the $92,000 plateau.

Luck Changes For Truponder

The post draw luck finally changed and so did the final result for Truponder in the $16,500 final of The Favorites' Series late closer on the Saturday night program.

"In the legs of of the series he'd drawn Posts 9 and 11 so tonight's Post 3 had us thinking this could be his night," co-owner and trainer Jim Mattison said in the live trackside post-race TV interview. "We bought him for a reasonable price at Harrisburg and liked his chances tonight because it was hot outside [84 degrees]. When we first brought him here he took a mark of 1:51.3 for us in the heat and he was true to form tonight. We knew he'd like it like this."

The five-year-old gelding by The Panderosa-Truly Artistic was sent through fractions of :27.2, :57, and 1:24.2 by David Ingraham. In late stretch, Scoot Diablo, with Wally Hennessey, was flipped out from the cover of Hose Me Down, driven by Kevin Wallis. Truponder got the nod in the win photo over Scoot Diablo by a nose. The longshot pocket sitter Howies Heart, in rein to Fern Paquet Jr., followed in for third at 64-1.

"This win was at a great time for us," Mattison added. "I've been in the business since the 1960's and I've been coming to Pompano since 1991. Truponder might be tricky to classify in the coming months, I might have to put him in a claimer at Saratoga. For now though we're really relieved since it couldn't have rained on a drier spot."

This win by Truponder allowed Mattison to surpass $100,000 in stable earnings on the strength of 18 winners from over 80 starters in the 2009-2010 campaign in South Florida.

The remaining pair of weekends in the Pompano season have Friday and Saturday evening post time at 7:05 p.m. through May 22.

(With files from Pompano Park)