A flawless performance by three-year-old filly trotter Pocohontas Fame on the final October program at The Isle Casino-Racing Pompano Park capped an unforgettable weekend for the Amante Standardbreds Stable of Delray Beach, Florida
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“To come up with three winners that we bred and raised in stakes finals in a 24 hour span is really special,” Tony Amante observed after Pocohontas Fame romped home in 1:59.4 in the $10,000 final of the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association (FSBOA) Sunshine State Stakes for three-year-old filly trotters. “She loves it here in Florida. She was the Florida Breeders’ champion last December as a two-year-old. We felt she was only mediocre at Saratoga in the summer months this year. Along with getting back to Florida, having Wally Hennessey as her regular driver again is a huge plus I believe,” he added.
The daughter of Famously-Native Pine overcame an outside start in the field of nine to post fractions of :29.3, 1:00.3, and 1:30.3 before kicking home handily in :29.1. JP Spice with Tom Sells in tow and Prairie Treasure with Ray Vizzi could only follow ‘Pocohontas’ under the wire.
The other Saturday night winner for the Amante connections was in the Sunshine State Stakes Final three-year-old colt and gelding trot. Be Famous, a Famously-Celebrity Descent gelding, benefitted from a pocket trip behind Boot Scootin Yankee and driver Ronnie Morales to score in 1:58.4. Calvin And Gator, with Tom Lehmann in the bike, followed in for third.
“Be Famous has really improved since we made the decision to geld him last summer when he was racing at the New York state tracks,” explained co-owner Christine Garrity of the Amante Stable. “He’s on a four race win streak since he’s returned to Florida. We feel fortunate to have both ‘Pocohontas’ and Be Famous racing with the trainer-driver team of Dan and Wally Hennessey,” she added.
The wins by Pocohontas Fame and Be Famous were preceded by a Friday night track record performance by two-year-old gelding trotter Famous Hall in 1:57.4 for the Amante connections in his two-year-old Sunshine State Stakes Final event.
In Saturday night’s three-year-old colt and gelding pace final of the FSBOA’s Sunshine State Stakes, Diamond Howard was awesome in a 1:52.3 front end victory. The life’s mark performance by the Mannart Howard-Amethyst gelding was in rein to Bruce Ranger over stablemate Red Hot Howard (Walter Ross Jr.) and Stiletto Jake (Tom Sells). Michile Lorenzo trains Diamond Howard and shares ownership with Souren Hovsepian of Palm Beach, Florida.
The three-year-old filly pace final of the Sunshine State Stakes also went to a 1-9 favourite as Black Diamond Girl wired the field for driver Wally Hennessey in 1:55.2. The daughter of Six Of Diamonds-Money For Munchkin is trained by Kim Sears for Penny Kelly and Jay Sears and this was her sixth win in 10 starts this year. Tangerine, with Tom Sells driving, and Lady Luck Le Run in rein to Mike Micallef completed the top three.
The $12,000 purse co-featured pace on Saturday night for the top mares in South Florida saw a 20-1 shocking upset unfold as driver Doug Brown guided Samantha Q to victory in a life’s mark of 1:53.
After Mike Micallef fired Princess Michi to the lead just after the half of :56.2, Witch Trials with Dan Clements aboard came to battle first over to the last turn in 1:24.3. Turning for home, Brown tipped out from the perfect second over trip he’d found and Samantha Q paced clear late in the stretch past Princess Michi and Witch Trials. Edgar Clarke trains Samantha Q, a four-year-old daughter of Real Artist-Paige Nicole Q for Cheri Clarke of Sacramento, California.
When racing resumes on Monday evening, November 1 at The Winter Capital Of Harness Racing there’s a carryover of $1,238 into the Pick-4. Post time is 7:05 p.m. EST each Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at The Isle Casino-Racing Pompano Park with Tuesday cards added to the schedule from December through March.
(Pompano Park)