A pair of trotters that have recently undergone barn changes through being sold came out winners in their first starts for their new connections on the Monday evening, February 1 program at the Isle Casino Racing at Pompano Park while drivers Steve Condren and Brooke Nickells surfaced for the first time this year
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After a win seven days ago in South Florida, trotting mare Perfect Bubbles was sold by former owner, trainer and driver Don Cromer to Hugo Bergantino. The seven-year-old mare by Keep It A Secret-Shes Near Perfect maintained her razor sharp form to become a repeat winner in the $10,000-$12,500 claiming handicap class.
With Robert Hoffman taking over in the bike, Perfect Bubbles sat last in the field of seven starters in the opening half as Tweedle Dum, with David Ingraham, posted the early fractions of :28.4 and :58.3 on the 68 degree (20 C.) evening with the track rated sloppy. Dee Day Fame, with Wally Hennessey in tow, made the first over move going to the final turn in 1:28.
As the leaders tired in the stretch, Dubois Of France, with Tom Sells, up surged to the lead from second over, only to be caught at the wire by Perfect Bubbles in 1:58. Dubois Of France was followed under the wire by Dee Day Fame and Wally Hennessey.
The other winning trotter on the Monday evening card in South Florida making a first start for new connections was Keystone Thomas.
The former pupil of the Mark Steacy operation in Ontario made his first start for the ownership of Fred Monteleone Stable of Pompano Beach. Now racing from the Bruce Ranger Stable and trainer Stewart Nemiro, the four-year-old Revenue S-Yankee Taboo son sat third as Earlivic with Marc Major in the sulky cut the mile to the three quarter call in 1:28.1. Keystone Thomas, with blinkers added for his Florida debut, popped out of third in line on the final turn and won going away in 1:59.3 over Earlivic and Tim Martinson's Rompaway Willie. It was part of a driving triple on the Monday evening proceedings for Bruce Ranger.
Pompano Personnel Notes
Driver Steve Condren, 53, returned to action for 2010 at the Isle to qualify trotter Hot Shot Blue Chip in 1:59.4 for trainer Jonas Czernyson. Condren, a career winner of dozens of major and prestigious stakes events, is spending his sixth winter in Florida. He's amassed 6,554 career wins for over $100 million in purses and indicates he'll likely be returning to Ontario by April 1st. Hot Shot Blue Chip, a career winner of $152,000, was a 2009 starter in The Hambletonian, Canadian Trotting Classic and Matron Stakes. Czernyson, originally from Sweden, now resides in South Florida and his first pari-mutuel starter of the current meet, Chocolate Tiara, finished second. Chocolate Tiara previously raced from the Carl Duguay barn at Rideau-Carleton Raceway before his recent Pompano debut in the ownership of Christine Czernyson.
Brooke Nickells, 38, has surfaced at the Isle to begin competition for 2010 with trotter NF Soaring. She's shipped in from Indiana Downs and her Summer base at Anderson, IN. Thus far Nickells has amassed 229 career driving wins for over $1.8 million in purse earnings while in the training category she has 265 winners to her credit for over $2.6 million.
(With files from Pompano Park)