Despite having been 'saddled' with the outside post, Boli and driver Wally Hennessey took top honors for the second consecutive week in Pompano Park’s Open Handicap Trot on Monday night (November 7).
The four-year-old son of Kadabra, trained by Dan Hennessey for Paul and Patricia O’Neil, forged his way to the front right at the opening station in :29 and continued on unthreatened through subsequent panels of :57.4 and 1:27.1 before completing his mile as he pleased in :30.1 to hit the wire in 1:57.2.
Stablemate Seeking Steven sat in the garden spot the entire route and finished second, 1-1/2 lengths away for John MacDonald while D C Flashback (Aaron Byron) was third after trotting the fastest final panel in the race.
The late charging Shes All In was fourth while Sailer Eddie picked up the nickel in a field shortened to eight with a scratch.
After the event, Hennessey related, “Boli has done some amazing things here at Pompano, so nothing really surprises me about his performances. Tonight, with the outside post, I wasn’t about to take back and spot the field seven or eight lengths because these are all worthy opponents and you just can’t do that when we’re all matched up like this. So, I sent him on the prowl early either looking for the lead or a close up spot if anything opened up.
“Once he made the front, he kind of put a damper on the others with a quicker second quarter and he really was never threatened after that. He did it all on his own tonight.”
The win was number 10 of the year for Boli sending his 2016 bounty to $73,842 and $144,032 lifetime in only 46 starts -- 15 of which are wins.
As the 3-to-5 toteboard favourite, Boli returned $3.40 to win.
Racing continues on Tuesday night with two outstanding distaff pacers seeking to extend their respective winning streaks.
In the $29,825 Stallion Stake for Florida bred three-year-old pacing fillies, Prairie Sweetheart, undefeated in her career measuring 12 starts, seeks her sixth straight win of this semester by taking on a talented field including Gold Star Mysti, who is four-for-five this season.
A recent purchase of the Let It Ride Stables, Prairie Sweetheart has returned to trainer Mike Deters for this engagement and will have the driving services of Matt Kakaley. Prairie Sweetheart has been installed as the 1-to-2 morning line favourite.
In Pompano Park’s Open Handicap Pace for mares, Godiva Seelster looks to extend her winning skein to five and has been assigned the outside post six. This daughter of Camluck, trained by Dan Hennessey for Paul & Patricia O’Neil, has a career scorecard of 35-27-18 in 104 starts and has missed but one check in her last four seasons on the racetrack.
Wally Hennessey will be back in the bike back of Godiva Seelster, who has been made the 7-to-5 morning line favourite.
Tuesday’s program features a Pick-6 carryover and a Super Hi-5 carryover -- the latter ballooning to over $8,000. Post time is set at 7:20 p.m.
(with files from Pompano Park)