The youngest trainer on the Pompano backstretch for the 2011-2012 meet has amassed a win streak that can vault him into his best career year -- and it's showing no signs of slowing down into the coming week

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John McNeil III, a 24-year-old conditioner of Vernon Center, New York, harnessed up a winner in a fifth straight program at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park on Saturday evening, January 28. With their only starter of the night, the McNeil connections counted victory again as Kommander Hawk dominated his Open Pace rivals to score in a life's mark clocking of 1:51.

With Fern Paquet Jr. in the bike, Kommander Hawk was guided through early fractional times of :27.4, :56.1, and after race favourite Pacinello made a break near the halfm the Pro Bono Best-Spinners Hawk six-year-old gelding sprinted the backstretch to the final turn in 1:23.2. The pocket-sitting Deep Finesse, driven by George Napolitano Jr., and the late-closing Red Star Paylater, in rein to Dan Clements, could not reach Kommander Hawk as he stepped to his third straight win in South Florida for the ownership of Ellen McNeil of Vernon Center, Ndw York.

The young trainer will be seeking to harness up a winner on a sixth straight program on Monday evening, January 30, as he sends out Looney Dune in Mares Open Pace II in the opening race and conditioned trotter MC Thunderstruck in the 10th race. His top career year was 2011 with over $111,000 in training purses amassed at Vernon Downs, Saratoga Harness and Pompano and already his starters have earned over $30,000 in January of 2012 in South Florida.

Eleven-Year-Old Takes A Big Mark

It isn't very often that a horse in the second decade of life will earn a career best speed mark, but the veteran pacer Armbro Billow accomplished just that on the final Saturday night of January at The Winter Capital Of Harness Racing.

In a $6,100 purse conditioned test, Armbro Billow was kept well back of the unsustainable pace made Big Bam Ray, in rein to Richie Simard, as the fastest opening half of the meet thus far flashed up :53.1. Going into the final turn in 1:21.3, Joe Pavia Jr. had Armbro Billow out wide in the advancing flow and brushing home the best in 1:50.4 over Flexjet, partnered by Wally Hennessey, and Night Train Shane, driven by Anthony Napolitano.

It was the 69th career victory for Armbro Billow. The 11-year-old Rustler Hanover-Armbro Breeze gelding has been trained to a career bankroll of more than $518,000 by Mike Watson for Streetwise Stable of Canton, Michigan.

(Pompano Park)