On a Sunday card of harness racing at Pompano Park that featured the FSBOA-sponsored Florida Stallion Stakes for two-year-olds and a pair of open paces, it was a horse in a conditioned event that turned the most heads.
First, here’s a recap of the Stallion Stakes events.
KKs Dream Girl, who suffered a broken hobble and had to be pulled up in last week’s Sunshine State Stakes Final, redeemed herself on Sunday night with a lifetime best performance of 1:54.4 -- leading every long stride of her mile off panels of :28.1, :57.1 and 1:26.1 and finishing 2-1/2 lengths up at the wire.
The beautiful roan daughter of Mysticism was handled by Corey Braden for trainer Maggie Audley and the Gold Star Farm as this 2-1 second choice put the highly regarded 2-5 favourite, Prairie Sweetness (Kevin Wallis), in the garden spot much of the way, never threatening the winner. Sparkyfareyouwell (Bryce Fenn), saving ground all the way around, rallied to finish third. Dice Dice Baby finished fourth while Rocks Stormyd picked up the final cheque in the quintet after a mild threat three-eighths into the mile.
After the mile, a humble Corey Braden remarked, “Well, she kept her pants (hobbles) on tonight and she had a pretty easy journey. I decided to not take any chances and put her on the front since we drew inside of Kevin’s (Wallis) filly, (Prairie) Sweetness. It worked out well and I am very happy for Maggie (trainer Audley), who works so hard on her horses.
Paying $6.00 to her many faithful, KKs Dream Girl, earning $13,500 of the $27,000 purse, sent her career bankroll to $16,425 for the first five weeks of her racing career.
The $27,500 Stallion Stakes for trotting fillies went, as advertised, to the 1-20 favourite, Prairie Virtue, driven by Mike Simons.
The daughter of Shibboleth Hanover took charge a few strides after the wings opened and had daylight at every pole, clocking panels of :29.1, :59 and 1:29.1 before an effortless :29.3 finale took her to the line 1-3/4 lengths ahead of the pocket-sitting Ciao Bella (Alessandro Spano). Prairie Trinket (Dave Ingraham) rallied for third, 7-1/4 lengths away and a neck better than West Haven.
Prairie Ginger picked up the nickel in the field of six.
Prairie Virtue is trained by Lisa Martin for Mary Martin and Laurie Poulin and this win, her second lifetime in five starts, sent her bounty to $19,675 since beginning her career about two months ago.
With a multitude of backers, she paid $2,10 to win.
In the $22,000 Stallion Stakes for pacing geldings, Mister David C, the son of Royel Millennium, was driven by Wally Hennessey for trainer Tony Dinges and owners Fred Grant and the Birnam Wood Farm and let Theflyingrock (Mike Simons) cut panels of :27.3, :57.1 and 1:25.3 before his individual :28.2 finale was more than enough to score a handy 5-1/2 length win in a lifetime best mile of 1:54.2 in this match race of sorts with only two starters.
Now with a scorecard of 2-1-1 in four career starts, Mister David enjoyed a payday of $14,300 of the $22,000 purse to send his bounty to $18,510.
The $25,500 Stallion Stakes attracted a quartet consisting of three geldings and one colt and it was the gelding Shulda Hada Drink winning his third race in four starts, surviving a nasty miscue at the start, spotting his foes several lengths. But driver Mike Simons got his charge composed and went on to score a 2:02.1 win measuring 1-1/2 lengths over Seeking Matthew (Sergio Corona) with Jo Jo Jet and Prairie Lazuli way, way back at the end of the mile.
After the race, driver Simons commented, “Believe me, I held my breath for a few seconds when he skipped but he calmed down and put in a nice rally after that.
Indeed he did. Away last after the miscue, Shulda Hada Drink reached third on the outside at the opening station in :31.3, was a length away from the leader Seeking Matthew half way througb in 1:01.1, stuck his head in front past the third station in 1:31 and drew off in the final stages.
Trained by George Coblentz for owner Nick Coblentz, Shulda Hada Drink has banked $22,897 since his racing career began five weeks ago.
Bell I No, the eight-year-old invader from the north, scorched the Pompano oval in 1:49.3 for John MacDonald -- the fastest mile of the meeting.
The altered son of Rock N Roll Heaven, trained by Tee Wine for the Jemaxpo Racing Stables, sprinted off the wings from his outside post, took command a few strides prior to the opening eighth, and recorded sizzlers of :27, :54.3 and 1:22 with a :27.3 finale sealing the issue by 6-1/2 lengths over the pocket-sitting Hot Art (Rick Plano) with Rockntouch (Wally Hennessey) next over Perkins and Autotune Hanover in the septet.
For Bell I No, it was his ninth win of the season in 26 starts, good for $105,454 this semester and $365,375 lifetime.
He paid $3.80 as the 4 to 5 toteboard favourite.
About 25 minutes later, Loud Splash, also driven by John MacDonald for trainer Tee Wine, took top honours in the $11,500 Open Handicap Pace, stopping the tele-timer in 1:50.
This four-year-old son of Thinking Out Loud got picture perfect handling in stalking Mach West (Wally Hennessey) through panels of :27.1, :55.1 and 1:22.2 before leaving the coziness of his pocket to roll by late on the strength of his :27.2 finale to score by three parts of a length.
Skip To My Lou (Joe Chindano, Jr.) was third followed by Maxdaddy Blue Chip. Plus One got the minors in the classy sextet.
Loud Splash, owned by Samuel Abdoo, took a new lifetime mark with the win and sent his 2020 earnings to $55,476 and $97,651 career-wise.
Lightly regarded in the wagering as fifth choice, Loud Splash paid $19.80 to win.
That win, by the way, gave trainer Tee Wine and driver John MacDonald a consecutive triple on the card as When You Dance won in 1:52.2 immediately prior to Bell I No and Loud Splash.
The $10,000 Open 2 Pace went to Seeing Eye Single, driven by Ricky Macomber, Jr.
This five-year-old gelded son of Dragon Again scored a handy three length win in 1:50.4 for trainer Devan Miller and owners Burke Racing Stable and Purnel & Libby LLC. Caviart Reagan (Wally Hennessey) was second while Mac Anover (Kevin Wallis) was next.
Dash Of Danger and Rock On Moe got the last two checks in the field of nine.
Seeing Eye Single vaulted his lifetime bankroll of $434,552 and paid $7.40 to win.
Finally, Pompano Park's Pick-6, with three chalks, a 5-2 shot and an 8-1 outsider in the mix, paid $3,172.95 for the 50-cent ticket.
Racing resumes Monday night as the track moves to a five day schedule -- Sunday through Thursday -- with a million-dollar field going to the gate in the Open Handicap Trot. The finals of the Florida Stallion Stakes will also be contested in four non-wagering events.
First post time is set for 7:20 p.m.
(Pompano)
Bell I No was one of the
Bell I No was one of the first horses in North America to go sub-1:50 this year. He toured The Meadowlands oval in 1:49.1, then 1:48.4, back in February.