A pair of slick drives with well timed late stretch winning moves by veteran reinsman Tom Sells highlighted the Friday evening, October 9 card at The Isle Pompano Park
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Sells was at his crafty best to take down the top prize in the $13,000 Open Handicap Trot. He positioned Gale Warning third-over approaching the half and tipped out widest in the stretch to just catch fraction-setter Colies, with Wally Hennessey, in the closing strides in 1:55.3. Battleshoe Victor, driven this occasion by Ray Vizzi, was first-over for a third straight week and held on for third.
Gale Warning thus recorded the 31st win of his career for trainer Michile Lorenzo and owners Rod Lorenzo, Ciro Gentile and Pomtambo Stable of Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton, Florida. The six-year-old trotter by Strong Gale-Lizs Promise had an eight month layoff from February through September but he’s now won two of three starts in the new meet.
Sells found another crafty way to win the final race of the program, a fillies and mares conditioned pace. He gave race favourite Allee T a following trip for seven-eighths of the mile and then tipped out three-wide down the stretch to win the photo over Splenda, with David Ingraham, and Oh My Sydney, partnered by Andy Santeramo. Allee T is a four-yea-old Raging Glory-Arriva Leru mare trained by Kim Sears for the ownership group of Jay Sears, John Campagnuolo and Anthony Andretta.
In the $13,000 Mares Open Handicap Pace, Chapsboots N Spurs was a well meant winner in 1:52.4 for the brother team of trainer Dan Hennessey and driver Wally Hennessey. The five-year-old Stampede Hanover-Beauty N Beast mare was up to re-take the lead after the quarter and she withstood late pressure from Shytown Lightning with Andy Santeramo and Velvet Eileen with Tom Sells to prevail in 1:52.4. Ownership of Chapsboots N Spurs is held by Shirley and Don Heck of Carmel, Indiana. It was her third start in this Pompano Park meet and the win followed a pair of third place finishes in the top weekly distaff class.
Moreau Stable Starters On Saturday Night
The Saturday evening program at The Isle Pompano Park will feature the debut of starters from the powerhouse Ontario and Quebec operation of Canadian trainer Richard Moreau. His trainer of record in Florida is Stephane Bardier. The Moreau-Bardier Florida operation will send out Paragon from Post 2 in the $8,500 Open-2 Pace in the fourth race and Dakota Noc from Post 8 in the $13,000 Open Pace two races later.
Post time at The Isle Pompano Park is 7:05 p.m. The Friday and Saturday schedule expands to include Wednesday racing on October 14. Monday cards join the agenda on November 2 and racing five nights per week at The Winter Capital of Harness Racing will begin when Tuesday cards commence on December 1.
(Pompano Park)