After a pair of near misses from the front end to start the meet, Dragons Blood finally persisted for the top prize in the $12,000 purse feature event on the Saturday night card at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park
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Leaving from an assigned outside post over a track dulled by day long rain, Dragons Blood backed down the early fractions of :28.2 and :58. Coming to call in the third quarter was Michigan shipper Ricks Sign, in rein to Fern Paquet Jr., and the duel intensified to the final turn in 1:25.4. Dragons Blood used a :28-second final quarter to stop the clock in 1:53.4. Card Dealer, with Bruce Ranger in the bike, was part of an entry and followed in third under the wire.
Dragons Blood, a Dragon Again-Canaco Model seven-year-old gelding, is trained and driven by Mike Micallef for Anita Micallef and Lewis Whitaker of Boynton Beach, Florida. The life's earnings now stand at more than $318,000 after this 33rd career win for Dragons Blood.
In the Florida Amateur Driving Club (FADC) trot, Jamie Marra was in the bike to squeeze a front end win out of seven-year-old gelding Genesisjerseyspeed in 1:59.1 for owner Denis Goyette of Laval, Que. and trainer Marc Major. The FADC is comprised of licensed amateur drivers, who sacrifice their driving fees, and following the race they made a charitable donation to the Broward County F.R.I.E.N.D.S., a non-profit horse rescue organization.
In addition to Wednesday and Saturday evening programs, Monday racing returns on October 10. The Florida Standardbred Breeders And Owners Association (FSBOA) Stallion Stakes will highlight the Monday program with the two-year-old trotters hitting the track for purses of $30,000. The FSBOA Stallion Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies is set for Wednesday, October 12 for a purse of $31,400. The Stallion Stakes is the third of five events in 2011 for the state-bred two and three-year-old fillies and colts. "Super Night" is rapidly approaching on November 5.
Tuesday racing returns on November 22 when the four nights per week schedule takes effect through March of 2012 at The Winter Capital Of Harness Racing.
(Pompano Park)