Winyard Hanover, driven by Wally Hennessey for trainer Mike Deters, set the world record for a five-eighths mile dash on a five-eighths mile track by scorching the South Florida oval in 1:08.
The seven year-old gelded son of Cams Card Shark, leaving from the track’s coveted five post, sizzled panels of :27 and :54.3 before a :13.2 final eighth mile sealed the victory and
the world record.
Winyard Hanover won by a comfortable 2-3/4 lengths over Sucrose Hanover, driven by John MacDonald, with Rebel Jet and Fern Paquet, Jr. teaming up for third.
Mach Power and Kirktons Credit were next in the speedy sextet.
At the outset, Winyard Hanover left from his “centre-of-the-track” post to take charge heading into the initial turn and hardly had time to take a breath as he widened his margin throughout the journey.
Hennessey said after the race: “He was sizzling all the way tonight. It’s kind of advantageous leaving from the centre of the track in a situation like that where there’s not a heck of a lot of distance to the first turn.
“I thought, ‘It’s now or never in a sprint,’ so I sent him. I know he’s done that before in a mile race, so I wasn’t at all concerned about sending him hard. He’s a very good horse and can handle it. To tell you the truth, I thought he was going more at the end of the mile.”
Winyard Hanover eclipsed the former record of 1:08.1 by Anais Kicker, taken at The Meadows back in 2009 with Dave Palone in the bike.
Owned by trainer Deters along with Joel Warner, Winyard Hanover won for the ninth time this semester in 32 starts to complete his 2017 campaign with earnings of $42,831. Lifetime, Winyard Hanover has banked $217,125 to go along with his Pompano Park one-mile mark of 1:51 set earlier this year.
As the 4-5 tote-board favourite, Winyard Hanover paid $3.80 to win.
Racing continues on Saturday night (Dec. 30) with the Super Hi-5 jackpot carryover standing at $32,011.59. Post time is 7:20 p.m.
(Pompano Park)