Andover America, the ultra-game nine-year-old Andover Hall gelding, returned from a two month vacation Wednesday night at Pompano Park and promptly took top honours in the $10,000 Open Handicap Trot.

Owned by Mc Trade Enterprises and trained by Stewart Nemiro, Andover America was driven by Bruce Ranger and stopped the clock in 1:57 in defeating Illusionsndreams (Andy Santeramo) by a neck. Permanent Joy (Dave Ingraham) was third followed by Lugar and Cathys Princess, who went off at 1-2 on the board on the strength of three straight impressive wins, all wire-to-wire with "1s" at every call during those events.

Indeed, it was Cathys Princess who left quickest of all from the coveted five post cutting panels of :28, :57 and 1:27.1 with Illusionsndreams in the garden spot and Andover America third. Around the final turn, Santeramo left the pocket and quickly disposed of Cathys Princess by the top of the lane with Andover America now in hot pursuit.

These two - Illusionsndreams and Andover America - fought tooth and nail to the wire with the latter edging by in the final few strides.

Ranger, himself, was surprised by the win saying, "I really though he needed a tightener coming into the race but he's just a great horse and knows how to win."

Indeed, he does.

The victory was the 53rd in his grand career - third this year - and vaulted his lifetime earnings over the $760,000 mark, currently at $761,540.

Ranger continued, "...some horses have that great quality of knowing how to win. They just have a will...a desire...to win and seem to know where the wire is. He's got a little age on him now but he still maintains that great will to win. It's what champions are made of, I guess!"

The $7,500 Open "2" Trot went to Tug River Dylan, driven by Dave Ingraham.

This eight-year-old son of CR Commando wired his competition in 1:55, carving fractions of :27.4; :56.3 and 1:25 along the way in pinning a 2-1/4 length defeat on Celebrity Legacy (Bruce Ranger) with Northern Inferno (Andy Santeramo) third. Glittering Muscles and Adenium picked up the final two awards in the field of nine.

Owned and trained by Bob Dutilly, Tug River Dylan won for the fourth time this year in 17 starts pushing his seasonal bounty to $23,315. He has banked $121,771 lifetime to go along with a mark of 1:53.3 achieved just a few starts back at Pompano Park.

After the event, driver Dave Ingraham said, "you know, there's this old joke about the driver who asked his trainer if a horse could leave and the trainer said, 'I don't know, I've only had him a couple of years!' Same story here, I looked at the program and decided to try something different and leave with him. He was very strong leaving and kept it up the whole route. It was a great mile for him!"

As thee slight favourite at 7-5 on the tote-board, Tug River Dylan paid $4.80 to win.

(Pompano Park)