Veteran driver Rick Plano captured the two quickest races on the Saturday night program at Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, just four days after returning to South Florida for his second winter in the Sunshine State.
The 60-year-old reinsman, who shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, spent the summer months at Vernon Downs in upstate New York where he won the dash title.
Plano sent Yankees In Six directly to the front of the field in a $7,500 Open II Pace and never looked back, winning by a widening seven length margin in 1:51.3. Owned by Robert Orr and Garry Jonas and trained by Edgar Clarke, the four-year-old gelding beat Freeneasy Hanover (Dave Ingraham) and Angle Of Attack (Kevin Wallis) for his eighth seasonal triumph.
Two races later Plano surprised a full field of older conditioned pacers with a three-year-old Florida-bred colt named Gold Star Spike. The impressive 1:51.4 score over Arezzo Hanover (Wallis) and A Fool For Mark (Ingraham) established the winner as one of the favourites for next Saturday's sophomore colt pace on Florida Super Night, which will feature eight lucrative championship races in the various age, sex and gait categories. Gold Star Spike is owned by Jamie Marra and trained by Thomas Audley. The quick clocking lowered the son of Rock On's lifetime best by just a tick under three full seconds.
The Open I Pace on Saturday was won by Northern Companion, who extended his impressive streak of first or second place finishes to 11 straight outings in the featured weekly $8,500 event. Owner Dorothy Zarza certainly made the right decision when she relocated her Northern Companion to South Florida just about a year ago. He has 23 win or place finishes in 2012 following a three-year-old campaign in 2011, which netted just one county fair win in Ohio in 21 tries. Robert Hoffman drives the son of Cambest for trainer Howard Klohr.
Racing resumes at Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park on Monday and Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. (eastern) followed by the much-anticipated huge Florida Super Night program next Saturday night, November 10.
(Pompano Park)
Good job Uncle Rick! Love,
Good job Uncle Rick!
Love, Meadow