After surpassing $50 million in career driving purse earnings in 2009, another career milestone is at hand for Hall of Fame reinsman Wally Hennessey
.
A win on the Monday evening card with three-year-old gelding Memphis Monster brought the 53-year-old reinsman's total to 7,497 lifetime winning drives.
Hennessey splits his annual schedule between South Florida and Saratoga Harness. He also frequently returns to his hometown city of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island to drive during Old Home Week in August and in the Gold Cup And Saucer.
Upsetters Prevail At Pompano
A pair of 10-1 upset winners highlighted the Monday evening program at the Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park.
Driver Don Cromer cleverly sat just behind the battling leaders Revington and Tweedle Dum in the card's featured $10,000-$12,500 claiming trot event. In the stretch, Cromer fanned out four wide to pick off that pair with Perfect Bubbles in 1:58.1 for a $23.80 win mutuel. Cromer is also the owner and trainer of the seven-year-old mare by Keep It A Secret-Shes Near Perfect.
Two races later it was driver David Ingraham's turn to bring in another January high-priced winner. He made a well rated front end steer on G W Gracie Dane to topple her $4,000 claiming trot rivals in a life's mark of 1:58.3 to kick back a $22.00 win price. The five-year-old mare by Armbro Tropicana-Dance Ahead is owned and trained by David Schneider of Coral Springs. Cherrio in rein to Richard Simard and Saskia Lavictoire with Don Cromer followed next under the wire.
The Monday evening program also saw a pair of trainers harness their first winners of the 2009-2010 meet. Mike Landolfi, 54, of Boca Raton sent out five-year-old mare Happy Bee to topple the maiden trotting class in 2:01.2 with Bruce Ranger in the bike.
Don Glowacki, 52, of Ft. Lauderdale conditions six-year-old mare Southern Beauty and she swept to a 1:59.1 win over the $6,000 claiming trot class rivals with Andy Santeramo in the bike. Southern Beauty races for Jamie Marra of Delray Beach. Escape Way with Bruce Ranger up and Ornellaia Dream in rein to Tom Sells were next under the wire.
Bardier's Base Broadening
Horseman Stephane Bardier of Montreal can now add Ontario trainer Tony Montini to the list of clients he's training for this meet in South Florida. On the Monday program, trotter Just A Lad made his debut from Bardier's barn at the Isle. The 13-year-old Earl-Just One Night gelding is a career winner of $878,000 and hadn't raced since November 10 at Georgian Downs. He finished sixth in the $10,000 claiming trot event for owner Albina Montini of Acton, ON.
Bardier, 44, arrived at the Isle last Fall with the Florida contingent of Canadian trainer Richard Moreau. That stable was reduced by one when pacer Paragon, the 2006 winner of the Cam Fella Series final at Woodbine, was claimed away for a pricetag of $10,000 last Saturday night.
Bardier also resumed driving duty this month and picked up his first win in the bike for the 2009-2010 meet at the Isle with eight-year-old trotter Travelin Lite.
(Pompano Park)
I remember Wally's first
I remember Wally's first winter in Florida. At the time he was nervous about the move from the coast. He made an impact on the driving colony right off the bat and hasn't looked back. Great driver and he and Dan were great guys.
Congrats Wally