It's very seldom that Bruce Ranger, the leading driver in track history at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, is overlooked at double digit odds, but that's what happened in the conclusion of the daily double on Wednesday evening, November 16
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With 1-5 favourite Tom Cango, in rein to Fern Paquet Jr., parked out almost to the half in :57.3, Ranger enjoyed a pocket trip view the rest of the way with Tobell. When the inside lane opened in late stretch as Tom Cango was bearing out and tiring, Ranger guided his charge through in on the pylons to take down the top prize in 1:57.1 and return $22.80 for a $2 win ticket. What About Brian, in rein to Tom Sells, closed from the third over position for the place prize and Tom Cango lasted for third.
Tobell is a four-year-old Credit Winner-Spedita Hanover gelding trained by Stewart Nemiro of the Ranger Stable for Pompano Beach owner Fred Monteleone. It was his fourth win in 20 trips this year.
In the next race, the $12,000 purse Open Handicap Trot, Ranger moved to the front at the quarter pole with favoured Keystone Thomas. This time, however, Ranger wasn't quite as fortunate as Smokin Dabra was angled out of the pocket turning into the stretch by driver Mike Micallef to take down the top prize over Keystone Thomas when the wire arrived in 1:54.1. Aruba Vacation, with Fern Paquet Jr. in tow, followed in for third.
Smokin Dabra thus made it two straight in the top weekly trot in South Florida for owner and breeder John Bosworth of Newmarket, Ont. The Kadabra-Smokin Rama gelding is being trained at this Pompano meet by Noreen Paulin of the Norm Dessereault Stable.
Even though he was out of action for almost five months this year due to a severely separated shoulder and multiple injuries suffered in an April 12 racing accident at Pompano, the chances continue to improve for 52-year-old horseman Bruce Ranger to continue a remarkable streak of achievement and consistency, which he started in 1998.
Turning into the final six weeks of 2011, Ranger's purse earnings in the bike for this year have now surpassed $850,000. He'll need his mounts to earn an average of about $6,500 per night for the final 23 cards of 2011 to make it to the $1 million annual driving earnings plateau to continue the streak he began 13 years ago. In previous years Ranger competed away from Florida during Pompano's dark season but he did not do so in 2011, so all of his driving purses this year have been compiled at his South Florida base.
Post time is 7:05 p.m. EST every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday and 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)