There was no ‘gas’ shortage as Pompano Park opened its 2017-2018 season on Sunday night (October 1).
Trainer Gaston Lareau, known as ‘Gas’ around the stable area, sent out four winners during the opening night card—the first training grand slam in his lengthy career, which has stretched to almost four decades.
Lareau visited the winner’s circle with the trotter Winemaster Hanover (driven by Ron Cusimano) to kick off the card in the Florida Amateur Driving Club trot; with Prince Pinang (Wally Hennessey) in a conditioned pace; St Lads Lotto (Wally Hennessey) in a conditioned-claiming event; and Spirit Shadow (Brady Galliers) in yet another conditioned claiming pace.
After his grand slam night, Gas remarked, “I’ve been in the business a long time and this is my first time sending out four winners on a single program.
“Ronnie (Cusimano) gave Winemaster (Hanover) the kind of drive he likes being on the front end. He’s a classy trotter, you know, and, when you race against some good stock, it’s tough to get a win…and he’s got 30 of them now.
“As for Prince Pinang and St Lads Lotto, they both have some class and both have a mark around (1):50 or (1):50 and a piece.
“And it sure doesn’t hurt to have Wally (Hennessey) in your sulky!
“Spirit Shadow got a great driver from the kid (Brady Galliers).
“He’s a newcomer here at Pompano and he can handle a horse very nicely. He sure drove that horse perfect.”
While Gas was the training star on the program, he had to share a bit of the spotlight with tough-as-nails pacer Sing For Me George (John MacDonald). The eight-year-old gelded son of Bettors Delight overcame Post 8 to score by three parts of a length over the invader Toatsmygoats (Brady Galliers) in the $10,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Major Starlight (Andy Santeramo) was third in the mile clocked in 1:53.1 while Abreathofreshart and Surge Seelster picked up the final two cheques in the classy octet.
Racing at Pompano will continue on Wednesday with a strong card that will feature the trotters Prairie Fortune and Boli in the Open Trot and the tough mares All Charged Up and Godiva Seelster in the Open Pace for mares.
Racing will continue throughout the month of October with a Sunday and Wednesday schedule, soon to jump to three days at the end of the month and, then, four days per week beginning in mid-November.
The track moves to a five night per-week schedule beginning the week of December 10.
Post time for the Wednesday program is set for 7:25 p.m.
(With files from Pompano Park)