Up Tempo captured the $13,100 final of the Battleground Late Closer for claiming trotters at Pompano Park on Sunday night (December 1) by conquering eight rivals and a ‘sloppy’ racetrack pelted by several hours of rain.

Owned by Maryann Plano and driven by husband Rick, the eight year-old altered son of Boy Band caught some live cover going around ‘turn two,’ was blind-switched going into the final bend, and only found room along the pylons in deep stretch to secure a head win in a photo finish.

Muscles To Spare (driven by Billy Muggleston) finished second after forging to the lead at the third station. Mailman Bob (Matt Romano) finished third, just a neck off the winner at the end of the 1:57.4 mile. Browner Shuttle, the even-money favourite, finished fourth while Senator Hall picked up the final cheque in the nine-horse field.

Hope Reins Supreme (Fern Paquet Jr.) won an early battle for the lead, stuffing Senator Hall (Wally Hennessey) in the pocket past the quick :27.4 opener. Muscles To Spare was away in good order from his rail post and pulled going into the second turn and began his grind toward the leader giving Up Tempo some live cover half way through the mile in :57.3.

As Muscles To Spare pulled on even terms with Hope Reins Supreme, Up Tempo was in pursuit but blind-switched as Mailman Bob made a ‘double bubble’ move into the far turn and past the three-quarters marker in 1:27.4.

They were stacked three across the track turning for home with Up Tempo still searching for some room and the patient Plano found it a sixteenth out to secure the close victory on the inside.

In a post-race interview, Plano said, "…with the track a couple of seconds off, it probably was a good place to be – out in the two or three path with the track draining in, but, when I got blind-switched, I had to go somewhere…and it just happened to be inside instead of outside. The trotter did this all on his own tonight, I never touched him in the lane one single time."

For Up Tempo, it was his sixth win of the year in 25 starts and 32nd success lifetime, sending his career bounty just a shade under $280,000.

As the 3-1 second choice, Up Tempo returned $8.00 on a successful Win wager.

In the $10,000 Open for fillies and mares, the three-year-old Woman Of Terror, catch-driven by Ed Hensley, made a bold rush from dead last in her octet halfway through the mile, swept to the lead around the final turn and went on to score a victory measuring one and three-quarter lengths in 1:53.2 as the 7-2 third choice on the tote.

Loretta (Ricky Macomber Jr.), the longest proposition on the board at 24-1, finished second while Godiva Seelster (Wally Hennessey) completed the trifecta. Love You Bye was fourth and Kaylas Dream picked up the final marble.

The daughter of Western Terror, trained by Jim McDonald for owner Steve Elliott, earned her sixth win of the year in 16 starts to send her bankroll in 2013 to $52,624.

Woman Of Terror paid $9.60 to Win and keyed a superfecta paying $938.08…for a dime.

(With files from Pompano)