Walter Ross Jr., a longtime regular member of the Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park drivers colony, inched closer to the coveted 1,000 lifetime wins plateau on Saturday night when he guided Goldstar Thumper to victory in the $12,500 championship final of the Sunshine Stakes Series for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
The 52-year-old reinsman needs approximately two dozen more wins to reach the benchmark career victories total.
It was the fourth win in five lifetime starts for Goldstar Thumper, a son of Rock On who was bred and is owned by Tom Audley. Only a place finish in his first pari-mutuel start keeps the talented colt from being undefeated.
Ross Jr. sat in the pocket until the three-quarter mile marker before cruising to a length and a half score over runner-up Hillbilly (Mickey McNichol) in the stretch. Jose Lightning (Tom Sells) finished third, but some 21 lengths off the winner's 1:55.4 clocking.
In the co-featured weekly $8500 Open Handicap Pace, Northern Companion (Rob Hoffman) ran his streak of one-two finishes to eight straight with a mild upset of Monet C C (Dave Ingraham) and Neptune Blue Chip (Bruce Ranger) in 1:54.2. Owner Dorothy Zarza's pride and joy now has four wins and four second place finishes in his last eight trips to post.
Racing resumes at Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park on Monday night with a stellar program featuring a pair of $12,500 Sunshine Stakes finals for sophomore trotters (separate colt and filly races); plus a $20,050 Florida Sales Stakes event for two-year-old trotting fillies and the $20,150 tandem event for first-year trotting colts and geldings. Post time is 7:05 p.m. (EST).
(Pompano Park)