The 2011-2012 South Florida live harness racing campaign, which began last September 21 at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, is now complete. The meet's final program on Saturday, July 28 delivered a full measure of excitement with the spectacle of a rare match race and a very significant driver milestone going into the record books.

In the $7,500 purse match race offering 70 per cent to the winner, the South Florida track's winningest driver in history, Bruce Ranger, showcased his enormous skill by taking Neptune Blue Chip out to post five on the slanted gate approaching the start against post one starter Northern Companion, in rein to Robert Hoffman. As the gate accelerated away, Neptune Blue Chip gained a slight advantage, but that was all that was needed to set up shop on the lead through fractions of :28, :58.4, and 1:27.2. With his charge's earplugs deployed in the late stages, Neptune Blue Chip had a :26.3 closing quarter in reserve to hold off Northern Companion when the wire arrived in 1:54.

Jim McDonald conditions Neptune Blue Chip, a four-year-old gelding by American Ideal from the Pro Bono Best mare Ms Pro Steinam, for Ciro Gentile of Boca Raton and Twenty Four Carrot Stable of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Neptune Blue Chip is a winner of eight races from 27 starts this year for earnings of almost $43,000.

Tom Sells, highly regarded in the Pompano driving colony for his special skills with trotters and young horses, reached a career milestone of 2,500 lifetime winning drives on the July 28 program. The 66-year-old reinsman hailing from Ohio and now making home in South Florida brought in three-year-old colt trotter Trents Ringer in a non-wagering event in the Florida Breeders Series and conditioned pacer Ts Electric to reach the milestone. Among the standouts Sells has campaigned in his career are 1988 standout three-year-old trotter Go Get Lost, American National three-year-old colt trot winner Prayer I Am, and millionaire older trotter Helluva Hush.

The 2011-2012 campaign in South Florida saw three track record categories rewritten. The three-year-old pacing filly Bombilla Hanover (1:51.4), three-year-old pacing colt Keemosabe (1:51), and older trotting mare Mymomsablizzard (1:54.1) all earned their place as the fastest of their age and gait in the track record chart in the South Florida plant's history dating to 1964.

Following the usual late summer hiatus, live harness racing resumes on Wednesday, September 19, at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park.

(Pompano Park)