Yet another chapter in the touching and improbable story of pacer Sports Reporter was written on Monday evening at Pompano Park

. The eight-year-old gelding was saluted along with his groom, Ingrid Glassmeyer, as the recipients of the Horse And Groom Of The Month award winners for April by the Florida chapter of the United States Harness Writers' Association (USHWA).

"For all of the adversity he's overcome and the way he lays his heart out there on the track every start, he's the greatest claim that we or anyone could ever make," said Ingrid Glassmeyer. "In his career he's overcome so many serious challenges ranging from lameness to systemic ailments. To us, he's always been an awarding winning horse because of his heart and determination and it's great to see him get recognized this way.”

"The story behind Sports Reporter is that he didn't race until he was four. We bought him really inexpensively from (trainer) Virgil Morgan, Jr. and his connections who had sunk almost $100,000 into him and pretty much given up on him," trainer Shawn Glassmeyer explained. "At one point in his career we lost him in a claim but we got a call from Dover Downs that Josh Green and Tony Morgan had also given up on him. Last Saturday night he won and paid $2.10, and no $4,000 claimer should be doing that without at least five claims entered on him. So I guess his problems are pretty well known but we're so proud of him just the same. Plus, we're thankful that (owner) Larry Baron decided to leave him with us after he claimed him off us a few months ago."

In April at Pompano, the Artsplace-Dexter Lobell gelding started 4 times and racked up three wins and a runner-up finish for earnings last month of $6,350.

"This horse will always have a special place in my life," added Glassmeyer. "When I was learning about harness racing and first learning to jog horses he took great care of me on the track. He loves his work and a lot of Saturday mornings he even lets me throw a saddle on him and ride him. So the contribution Sports Reporter has made to my career is really invaluable."

The feature event on Monday’s card was the $8,500 Isle Mile Mares Open Handicap Pace, with Bombilla Hanover notching a third straight front end victory to kick off her four-year-old campaign.

The Pennsylvania Sires Stakes graduate, a daughter of The Panderosa-Bet Me Hanover, was parked most of the first quarter by Major Trap in rein to Andy Santeramo in :27.1. After the :56.4 half, Bombilla Hanover was forced to stave off a backstretch challenge by Nillabomb and driver Dan Clements to the last turn in 1:25.2. In the stretch, Bombilla Hanover had a :28-second closer in reserve to prevail by three quarters of a length of over Major Trap in 1:53.2 with Nillabomb persisting for third.

Trainer Peter Blood of Pompano Beach shares ownership of the career winner of more than $93,000 with Florida co-owners Rick Berks and Lew Whitaker. Last Fall at the end of her three-year-old campaign, Bombilla Hanover turned in a 1:51.4 track record performance at Pompano.

(Pompano Park)