E Z Noah, coming into Pompano Park's $12,000 Open Handicap Pace with the highest seasonal earnings of the sextet, took top honours by wiring a talented field on Saturday night in 1:51.2.
Strategically and superbly handled by Aaron Byron, this five-year-old son of Western Terror led at every marker in scoring a half-length triumph over stablemate Lyons Johnny, with Joe Pavia Jr. in the bike. The 1-2 favourite, Duc Dorleans, fresh off his lifetime-best winning performance of 1:49, finished third for Donald Dupont while Dont Tell Rusty finished fourth. Red Scooter picked up the "nickel."
E Z Noah blasted out of the Hummer Starting Gate from post five and stuffed Duc Dorleans, beginning from post six, in the pocked with Lyons Johnny settling in third through an opening panel of :26.2.
That's when Byron's strategic handling played the key role in the win.
Strolling over to the half in a "soft" :55.4, E Z Noah began his journey up the backside with a one and a half-length lead over Duc Orleans with Lyons Johnny now out and driving -- the two stablemates literally noses apart at the third station in 1:23.4.
Turning for home, the "mates" continued their battle with E Z Noah edging a few steps further to the good in the late stages on the strength of a :27.3 finale.
In a post race interview, Byron said, "I think the key was that second quarter. 'Noah' has a mark of :49 and a piece over a five-eighths-mile track [1:49.3 at Pocono] so I knew he had some steam left after that softer second quarter. It was fun seeing Joe [Pavia] come alongside with the stablemate [Lyons Johnny] and I thought it would be a foot race between us to the wire."
Trained by Peter Pellegrino for the Baron Racing Stable of Horsham, Pennsylvania, E Z Noah pushed his lifetime bounty to just a shade under $400,000 lifetime -- $397,752. He's banked $113,367 this year with an 8-7-3 scorecard in a busy season of 38 starts.
Though E Z Noah's win was billed as the top event of the superb Saturday night card, there were three other performances timed faster than the Open.
Dan Clements piloted his own P L Hellcat to a new life mark of 1:50.3 in the opening event; Cadillac Phil, driven by Joe Pavia Jr. for owner trainer Luca Derrico, scored in 1:50.2 in the Open 2 Pace; and Wrenn Racing's Always In The Money stopped the clock in a lifetime-best 1:51.1 for Peter Wrenn.
Also, there were some fireworks on the toteboard in the last race as Mach It Paiden, off at 62-1, scored for Dave Ingraham in a lifetime-best 1:52.2 -- his previous mark being 1:57!
That set the stage for a superfecta refund, as well as a healthy carry-over for Pompano Park's new Super Hi-5, which now moves into a new high carry-over for Monday night's racing program. Post time Monday is 7:30 p.m.
(Pompano Park)