The path along the comeback trail finally lead to the winner's circle for veteran trotting gelding San Remo Kosmos on the January 18 program at Pompano Park
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With Bruce Ranger at the lines for his third winner on the card, San Remo Kosmos topped a $7,000 purse conditioned group of rivals in 1:56.3 for his first win in more than three years.
The S Js Photo-Sissy De nine-year-old gelding hadn't raced since February of 2009 before turning up in the top Pompano barn of trainer Peter Pellegrino last December for the ownership of Baron Stable of Horsham, Pennsylvania.
The 28-time career winner, who has banked over $622,000 in purses, took his life's mark of 1:52.3 at The Meadowlands in 2007 just before a third place finish in that year's Nat Ray Memorial.
San Remo Kosmos was developed on Pennsylvania's Fair Circuit by Todd Schadel, Roger Hammer and Rodney Bolon before racing against the continent's best from 2007 to 2009 from the care of Mark Silva, Ben Wallace and Jimmy Takter.
Prior to tonight, he was last seen in the winner's circle after celebrating back-to-back wins in September and October 2008 against Open company at Yonkers Raceway.
Major Milestones Near For Top Pompano Pair
The countdown is on towards major milestones for two of the longest serving and most successful reinsman at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park.
Joe Pavia Jr. is less than 20 wins away from reaching 5,000 lifetime wins in the bike. Hailing from Utica, New York and now making home at Jenkins Township, Pennsylvania and Pompano seasonally for racing campaigns at Pocono Downs and in Florida, Pavia is also still very active as a double duty horseman with 586 lifetime training wins to his credit for purses of almost $7 million. Going into the third weekend of January at Pompano, Pavia had amassed 4,982 lifetime winning drives for almost $32 million in career driving purses.
Wally Hennessey will soon join an elite club as one of the first 25 drivers in history to reach the 8,000 win plateau. The 56-year-old reinsman from Charlottetown, P.E.I., is well into his third decade of competition at Pompano and stands at 7,979 career wins for almost $54 million in purse earnings. Hennessey was a 2006 inductee into the Harness Racing Hall Of Fame And Museum at Goshen, New York on the strength of his years of domination on the New York Sires Stakes trail and as the driving partner of legendary trotting mare Moni Maker, the 1998 and 1999 USTA/USHWA Horse Of The Year.
New Saturday Night Attraction
A trackside arts and jazz festival series will accompany the live action when racing resumes on Saturday, January 21 at The Winter Capital Of Harness Racing. Jazz artists will perform on alternating Saturday nights, and the popular Miami Gourmet Food Trucks and trackside deejay party will return on alternating Saturday programs on January 28. Post time is 7:15 p.m. Eastern.
(With files from Pompano Park)