An oddity of sorts happened at Pompano Park on Tuesday night (Nov. 5) during the nine-race program, as three of the leading drivers all scored ‘hat tricks’ that accounted for the entire program.
The trio – Rick Plano, Dave Ingraham and Wally Hennessey – came into the action with a combined total of almost 25,000 career wins – 24,866, to be precise – and each tacked on three more.
Plano, who pierced the 7,000 milestone the night before, was the star with a hat trick of training wins, as well, as he scored with Keegan Ho ($2.40), Born To Thrive ($6.60) and Sooo Handsome ($2.80)
Keegan Ho scored in 1:55.4 for this 30th career score – his fourth of 2019 – for Mindy and Jan Repko, who co-own with the trainer/driver.
Born To Thrive hit the wire in 1:54.4 for his 32nd lifetime score and seventh this year. The win pushed his lifetime earnings to $354,923. Maryann Plano, Victor Contento and John Campagnuolo share ownership of the six-year-old son of Swan For All.
Sooo Handsome completed Plano's ‘triple-triple’ with a 1:55.1 win for owner Maryann Plano.
Ingraham licked off the early double by giving Charles Branthoover's Stormont Park ($5.00) a picture-perfect drive for trainer Bob Lippiatt in 1:57.1 for his first win of his 31-race campaign.
He then piloted George Coblentz' trotter Canale Hanover to a win in 1:57.4, which was the first win of his 23-start campaign. Canale Hanover rewarded his faithful with a $9.60 mutuel.
Ingraham then picked up his third win of the night with his son's Alwaysyourway ($4.00) in 1:55.3. Trained by Dustin Ingraham, the victory was the tenth win of the season for the six-year-old son of Always A Virgin.
Hennessey completed the second half of the early daily double with a gate-to-wire win with Up The Alley ($2.60) for trainer John Mungillo, who co-owns with Tommy Eichas.
About 19 minutes later, Hennessey was in the winner's circle again with Jim and Vicki Mattison's Sundown Showdown, who won for only the second time in his 23-race career. He hit the wire in a lifetime-best 1:56 and paid $8.40 to win.
Hennessey then completed his trifecta of wins with Indian Creek Kyla ($3.20), trained by Mike Murphy for Geneva Steward, Ann Pugsley and Barbara Murphy.
Racing will continue on Sunday night with FSBOA Stakes action and a highly competitive pari-mutuel program. First post will be at 7:20 p.m.
(Pompano Park / FSBOA)