The FSBOA-sponsored stallion stakes highlighted the Sunday (Nov. 10) program at Pompano Park. The festivities were punctuated by presentations to Rick Plano and Fern Paquet Jr. for their recent milestones.
The lucrative stallion stakes – with over $100,000 on the line – were non-betting events for the two-year-olds. Prairie Gold Mine and Gold Star Igotdis extended their respective winning streaks, while Brasen Bo pulling off a mild upset and Shuldahadahunemoon waltzed around the oval in a rare walkover.
Prairie Gold Mine, a sharp looking gelded son of Shibboleth Hanover, kept his career unbeaten streak intact by winning his fourth straight, this one is the $30,400 Stallion Stakes for juvenile trotting colts and geldings.
Owned by Laurie Poulin, along with Fritz Racing, Fred Morosini and trainer Mike Deters, Prairie Gold Mine, driven by Wally Hennessey, blasted his way from fourth on the backstretch with a powerful burst to move on even terms with Rhinestone Cowboy (Mike Micallef) and barely out-gamed the latter in a duel to the wire. The winning margin was three quarters of a length and it took a new lifetime mark of 2:01.4 to get it done.
YD Dream Machine (Jim Meittinis) was third over Prairie Tornado and Prairie Romeo.
After the event, Hennessey remarked, "Well, it sure turned out to be a dogfight. All of these horses are getting a little more seasoned now and getting to know how to race. Mike's (Micallef) horse had some serious fight in his belly and he was right with me all the way home. But my horse is learning more, too, so the other Mike (Deters) has done a great job in teaching him."
Prairie Gold Mine now has banked $25,500 in his four career starts.
Gold Star Igotdis, again handled by Corey Braden for trainer Maggie Audley, unleashed a final half in :57.3 to score a narrow win in 1:58.4 over the late charging Laurie Lee (Wally Hennessey) in the $30,125 Stallion Stakes for the pacing fillies.
The daughter of Rock On, owned by the Gold Star Farm, fourth in the early going as Pocahontas Cam (Kevin Wallis) sliced through panels of 29.4, 1:00.2 and 1:30.1, tilted to the outside on the backstretch, pulled on even terms with the leader around the final turn and held off the surging Laurie. Pocahontas Cam did finish third over Prairie Fashion and Alil Touch of Pink.
Not only was her performance a new lifetime mark, it pushed her scorecard to 5-3-0-0, good for bounty of $23,928.
Driver Corey Braden remarked, "All you have to do is ask her and off she goes, There's no stopping her. She is developing into quite a nice filly."
Tom Casey's Brasen Bo pulled off a mild upset in the $30,125 Stallion Stakes for trotting fillies as this daughter of Shibboleth Hanover was given picture perfect handling by Mickey McNichol to score in a career best 2:06.1.
Owner-trainer Casey put trotting hobbles on his filly for the first time and she was perfectly mannered throughout her journey as Prairie Delight (Jim McDonald) plowed through fractions of :31.3, 1:02.3 and 1:34.1 with Callin On Sunday (Mike Simons) in the garden spot after recovering from a brief miscue early.
Once they straightened away, Brasen Bo began gnawing away at the leader, getting by in the final yards for the win measuring a neck.
Whitney Annette and Proud Money were next in the quintet.
Finally, Shuldahadahunemoon, with Dustin Ingraham in the sulky, strolled around the Pompano Park oval in a walkover to earn $24,175 for owner Nick Coblentz in the two-year-old pace for the boys or, in this case, the boy.
The George Coblentz trainee broke his maiden in the easiest of ways by taking his time through fractions of :33.1, 1:05.2 and 1:37 before hitting the line in 2:08.3.
Shuldahadahunemoon now has banked $32,050 in his five trips behind the starting gate.
After the second race, race secretary Joe Frasure Jr. joined Rick Plano and Fern Paquet Jr., in the winner's circle in honor of their respective milestones reached last week.
Plano won his 7,000th career race while Paquet reached the 3,000 plateau just minutes apart last Monday night.
Both drivers reflected on their family ties with Rick mentioning wife, Maryann, his son, Luke, who has well over 3,000 career wins in his own right and Fern paying tribute to his father, Fern Sr., who was a leading driver at Pompano Park some five decades past.
Driving honours went to Mike Simons on Sunday night as he had a ‘hat trick’ on the card, including back-to-back wins with Oberlin (placed first at 42-1) and Late Night Joke (7-1) in the track's Pick-5.
With nary a single ticket sold on the winning combination of 6-2-1-6-1, a carryover of $5,639 makes a ‘better for the bettor’ scenario with a $20,000 guaranteed pool for Monday night's Pick-4.
Post time is set for 7:20 p.m.
(Pompano Park/FSBOA)