Prairie Jaguar, the author of the most 1:50 miles in Pompano Park history, returned home to his favourite track and crushed his foes with a startling 1:50.3 performance as Pompano Park opened its 2014-2015 season on Saturday night.
The Florida-bred six-year-old son of Spy Hard, driven by Aaron Byron, brushed to the front from his outside six post around the first turn, demoralized the competition with a :26 opener and went on to score a win measuring four and a quarter lengths over Northern Companion (Mike Micallef). Cartoonist (Bruce Ranger) finished third with Ts Electric, Damon Blue Chip and I Do Hanover completing the sextet.
The win was the ninth in 27 starts for Prairie Jaguar, pushing his 2014 bounty to $80,405 and lifetime earnings to $137,627. He is owned by trainer Mike Deters and Laurie Poulin.
In a post race interview, Byron said, "This was the first time I have ever driven this horse and Mr. Deters told me that he likes to 'rock and roll' early. After that quick opening quarter, I tried to rate him a little but he just grabbed on the further I got into the mile. After that :54.1 half, he really told me he wanted to go, so that three-quarter time of [1]:21.3 was not too much of a surprise. I just let him coast on home after that!"
Pompano's kickoff also featured eight different class for Sunshine State Stakes eligibles.
The most notable performers in those events were Showing Off, Goldstar Kenny P, Owosso Flash, Livy M, Markie, Paxxie, Railee Workable and Limelight.
Showing Off kept his perfect record in tact in 2014 -- now three-for-three -- with a sharp 2:01.4 win for Bob Roberts, who was in the bike for trainer Kim Sears and owners Jay Sears along with Richard and Sandra Dunmire.
Livy M, owned and trained by James Martin, was a photo finish winner over Brandy in a nip and tuck battle all the way down Pompano's stretch -- the margin a slender nose for Tom Sells.
Goldstar Kenny P, who chased both Warlock and Tough Issue home in seven tries last year, rose to the top of the three-year-old class with a very smartly rated with Mickey McNichol in the bike. Owned and trained by Tom Audley, "Kenny" wired his two competitors, sealing the deal with a last half in :59.1 in a 2:00.2 performance.
After the event, McNichol said, "The colt has a mark of [1]:57 but we got away with a little something this time around, so I took a hold as long as there were no imminent threats. He was solid tonight."
Owosso Flash, also owned by Poulin and Deters, looked awesome in gaining his first lifetime win. "Flash," a two-year-old by Royal Millennium, made a quarter move to the front and was never threatened thereafter, stopping the clock in 1:58.3.
Last year's two-year-old filly champion in the trotting division, Markie, looks like she means business in repeating as champion this year, too. The daughter of Proud Bushy, trained by Kim Sears for owner-husband Jay, crushed her foes again with a 2:01 win measuring 13-3/4 lengths. She's now three-for-three this year.
The two-year-old Six Of Diamonds filly, Paxxie, was next in the spotlight and she wore down a stubborn Gold Star Dynasty with a :28.1 finale in a lifetime best 1:59.1. Bruce Ranger was in the bike for owners Warren and Joan Harp.
Railee Workable then earned his second straight win with a gate-to-wire effort in 2:04 (:29.3) for Mickey McNichol. This son of Basil is trained by Louis Ginesi for Fred Morosini and Ken Fritz.
Finally, Limelight, owned by Beauty In The Bridle Racing Stable, picked up her third straight win in Sunshine State Stakes action with a very sharp win in 1:56.1. Tom Sells was in the bike for trainer Rosie Huff.
Other "Open" winners on the card were Hurricane Howard (Sells) and Bold Willie (Bryce Fenn).
Hurricane Howard won the Open "2" by lolly-gagging to a :58.1 and then sealing the issue with a final four furlongs in :55.4. This seven-year-old Florida-bred son of Mannart Howard is owned by Lawrence Barnett along with trainer Mike Deters.
And while the "fireworks" at the track were in the form of flashes of lightning, the Open "3" provided some pari-mutuel fireworks as Bold Willie lit up the toteboard with a $93.00 mutuel in the finale, keying a dime superfecta payoff of $1,022.78.
(Pompano Park)