A pair of $12,500 championship finals of Sunshine Stakes Series highlighted the first Monday night of racing at Pompano Park since the South Florida track reopened in mid-September.
Two-year-old filly trotters went first with Tyrees Treasure, making just her second lifetime start, breaking her maiden with an impressive open lengths victory in 2:02.4. Owned in partnership between trainer Jerry Beach and Hollie Proesel, the daughter of Famously got away second for leading driver Bruce Ranger, moved to the front before the halfway station, and cruised home without a worry over Tea Party Express (Mel Turcotte) and Hollys Diamond (Tom Sells).
The freshman lass made an early break in stride in her first pari-mutuel race twelve days earlier, but recovered to finish second and qualify for the lucrative final.
The partnership of trainer-driver Mel Turcotte, Victoria Howard and Pete Roccasano were disappointed when their favoured Tea Party Express could do no better than second in the fillies split, but their mood changed to elation in the colts division when their Proud Expression - sent off as the third choice in the betting - upset a full field of Florida-breds in 2:00.3.
The son of Proud Bushy also got away second and moved to the front during the second quarter-mile panel, before holding off Tim T (Sells) and Take One More Look (Lawrence Hayward) by slightly better than three lengths.
Ranger extended his lead in the driver's standings with a three-win hat trick on the Monday program. The only other driver to win more than once was Walter Ross, Jr., who scored with Mica Michelle and Goldstar Thumper.
Racing resumes Wednesday night. Pompano Park is currently on a three-nights-a-week schedule with 7:05 p.m. post times on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
(Pompano Park)