There's just no way to determine a clear cut favourite with the field now set for the 2011 Isle of Capri Drivers' Championship

. In a 10-race series set for March 14-16 at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, the competition promises to be fierce among the nine talented reinsmen qualifying to contest the $8,000 top prize.

The final berth into the competition went to Joe Pavia Jr. over Chuck Connor Jr. and Jason Dillander by virtue of a win in the opening race on the Saturday, March 5 program with pacer Gentleman Friend. The four-year-old son of Western Hanover-Town Pro took down a narrow decision in a $7,200 purse conditioned test over Kathe Troy's Art N Charm, last year's fifth place finisher in the Breeder's Crown three-year-old colt pace final. It was the first start of 2011 for Art N Charm.

Joining Pavia in The Isle of Capri Drivers' Championship will be Bruce Ranger, Wally Hennessey, Anthony Napolitano, Dan Clements, Ricky Macomber Jr., Mike Micallef, George Napolitano Jr., and David Ingraham. A total of $17,500 in cash prizes will be awarded to the drivers along with increased purses for the races used in the challenge. On the March 16 program, the last four races of the Isle of Capri Drivers' Championship will comprise the Pick-4 wager, which will carry a guaranteed minimum pool of $5,000. An announcement will be made early in the coming week on the scoring system for the event.

Close Decision To Daley Deposit Only

On the photo finish print it looked like less than an inch but that was all the daylight required for Daley Deposit Only to be declared the winner of the $14,000 purse top weekly pace in South Florida.

"I thought I either won it or it was a dead heat. Winning two straight with this horse comes at a good time since I haven't been to the track to race much lately," winning trainer-driver Dan Daley said in a post-race live TV trackside interview. "I've been really busy with training 25 two and three-year-olds this winter, which I expect to ship north to New York in early May. They're all trotters except I have a sister to Daley Deposit Only in the mix now too," he added.

B N Bad, driven by Joe Pavia Jr., surrendered the lead just past the quarter of :27.4 to Drive All Night, in rein to George Napolitano Jr. With Daley Deposit Only lumbering up on the outside after the half in :56 and three-quarters in 1:24, B N Bad had clearance to emerge from the pocket to take the lead in mid-stretch but he could hold off final flurry of Daley Deposit Only when the wire arrived in 1:52.2.

The Artiscape-Sassy Cessiann six-year-old gelding reaches $284,000 in career earnings for owners Ann-Mari Daley, Jared Daley, Richard Lombardo and Robert Pergament.

(Pompano Park)