Driver Rick Plano hit a grand slam at Pompano Park on Sunday night, including a win in the $14,500 Interloper Trot Final with Up Tempo and $10,000 Distaff feature with De Vins Girl.
Up Tempo, owned by Rick's wife, Maryann, was a virtual gate-to-wire winner in the Interloper. The eight-year-old scored a four and three-quarter-length victory in a lifetime best 1:55 over Soxys Kid (driven by Ed Hensley). Bars Gold Medal finished third. Undercover Bro and Dreamnwillie picked up the final awards in the field of nine.
Up Tempo, winless in 2012, garnered his ninth win of this waning season (35th lifetime) to send his lifetime bankroll to $293,561 - $35,893 this year.
"I wasn't surprised that he won," Plano said after the race, "after all, he was good coming in off of three straight wins…but I was surprised that he won in (1:) 55. That was a pretty big number for him."
The betting public wasn't surprised, either, sending Up Tempo off at 1-5 on the board. He paid $2.60 to win.
Meanwhile, Plano handled De Vins Girl for owner-trainer Luca Derrico and stayed off hot panels of :27.1, :54.3 and 1:22.4 before sweeping by her rivals in the lane to capture the $10,000 Open for Fillies and Mares in 1:51.4.
The six year-old daughter of Red River Hanover fanned widest of all turning for home to pin a one and a half-length defeat on Southwind Trini (Bruce Ranger) for her eighth win of the year sending her seasonal bankroll to $79,345 and $174,625 lifetime.
The 6-5 post time favourite, Wildfire Osborne, driven by John Cummings Jr., got caught up in the early warfare and finished third, two and a quarter lengths off the winner. Love You Bye – who rocketed out of the gate to take an early lead before yielding just a stride or two pasts the opening panel – finished fourth. Aubsession, who took a short lead turning for home after a first over backside journey, picked up the final award in the field of eight.
"Lovely…just lovely," said Plano, in describing the journey back of the classy mare. "You never know what is going to happen when the gate springs, and, when I saw leavers both inside and outside, I was kind of forced to make a choice to lay off what I thought – actually hoped – would be some quick fractions. With those two :27-and-a-piece openers, I thought it might work out pretty well and we were left with w very nice third over trip. She followed her cover religiously, and, when I fanned her turning for home, she had plenty left. She's a handy mare, you know, so I had plenty of choices and this choice, fortunately, worked out."
As second choice on the tote-board, De Vins Girl paid $11.00 to win.
Plano also scored with Majestic Splash and Windows Online in the grand slam performance.
Pompano Park continues with a ‘Christmas Eve Eve’ program on Monday night with a scheduled first-race post time of 7:05 p.m.
(Pompano)