Safe From Terror and Tater Twister both sprung upset victories in their respective Open events at Pompano Park on Wednesday night (November 23).
Safe From Terror, given picture perfect handling by Bryce Fenn, prevented Godiva Seelster (Wally Hennessey) from streaking to her sixth straight win in the $10,000 Mares Open Pace by using a spectacular :26.3 closing panel to edge by her main rival, stopping the clock in 1:53.1 -- her winning margin a half-length. Pertty Music (Rick Plano) put in an improved effort to be third after a first-up backside bid while Goldstar Rockette finished fourth. Arodasi picked up the minor award in the field of seven.
At the outset, Goldstar Rockette (post four), Safe From Terror (post six) and Godiva Seelester (post seven) all showed gate speed with Goldstar Rockette yielding to Safe From Terror around turn one and the latter then yielding to Godiva Seelster, who took the field through an opener in :27.1.
A :30.1 second quarter breather left the top three positions unchanged with the half on the board in :57.2.
On the backside, Pertty Music charged up first over and got within a length of Godiva Seelster past the third station in 1:26.2 with Safe From Terror sitting chilly turning for home.
In the lane, Godiva Seelster was sprinting and on her way home in :26.4, but Safe From Terror edged out of her cozy pocket to challenge and eventually got by on the strength of her aforementioned final quarter of :26.3.
In a post-race interview, driver Bryce Fenn said, “Last week, when she won, she was very good. This week, she was awesome. This wasn’t a question of Wally’s mare giving up. His mare had to pace her last quarter in :26.4 or so. This was just a case of my mare getting a great trip and you know she’s got talent because she's got ‘6 and change’ on her card [$630,257 in career earnings] going in.”
Safe From Terror, a four-year-old daughter of Western Terror, trained by Luanna Beeson for Winchester Baye Acres, won for the 11th time this year and 23rd time career-wise.
Her lifetime bankroll swelled to $635,257 with the win -- $151,635 this year.
As third choice at 9-2 on the toteboard, Safe From Terror paid $11.40 to win.
In the $10,000 Open Handicap Trot, Tater Twister, driven by Mike Simons and stepping up in class after a 1:54.4 wire-to-wire win last week, led gate-to-wire this week as well, and stopped the timer in a lifetime-best 1:53.3 off of fractions of :28, :56 and 1:24.3.
This six-year-old altered son of ABC Garland, trained by Mike Murphy for Barbara Murphy, Geneva Stewart and Imogene Rhule, pinned a one and a half length defeat on the 4-5 favourite, the late-charging Prairie Fortune (John MacDonald), with Boli (Wally Hennessey) next. Explosive Muscles was fourth in the septet while Undercover Bro finished fifth.
The win pushed Tater Twister’s scorecard for the year to 7-3-6 in 35 starts, good for $42,457. He’s banked $95,636 lifetime.
Fifth choice in the betting and off at 14-1, Tater Twister returned $31.20 to his fortunate followers.
Finally, the popular “Over-The-Hill Gang” event for trotters eight years old and up returned to the Pompano Park scene and the banana-eating 10-year-old Adenium, handled by Wally Hennessey for owner/trainer Dale Gilmour, led every step of his mile to score in 1:55.4, posting his second straight win and sixth of the year.
A gelded son of Revenue S, Adenium held favoured R G Rocket (Aaron Byron) at bay in the final stages to win by three-parts of a length. The fast-closing Barbies Korvett (Rick Plano) was third while Vacation Day and B Cor Thomas were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Adenium returned $10 as the second choice on the board.
Racing continues on Sunday night with well over $430,000 in purses up for grabs as Pompano Park plays host to the F.S.B.O.A.’s Super Night, featuring Florida best two and three-year-olds. Post time is set for 7:20 p.m.
(With files from Pompano Park)