Nothinbutanallstar, craftily driven by Mark O'Mara, was up in the very last stride to eke out a photo-finish win in Pompano Park's $12,000 Open Trot on Wednesday, February 11.
The four-year-old altered son of Allstar Hall defeated Its Payday Friday, handled by Dan Clements, by the narrowest of noses in 1:55. Coco Lindy and driver Wally Hennessey teaming up for third, just a head away from victory. Dukester was fourth while Increditable finished fifth in the quintet.
Also trained by O'Mara for owner Lester Raber, O'Mara was content to let Nothinbutanallstar, the even money favourite, trail the field as Its Payday Friday cut fractions of :28 and :57 with Coco Lindy in the garden spot and Dukester next.
Less than three-eighths out, Dukester was out and driving from third with Nothinbutanallstar following the live cover flow and just two lengths out of it by the third station in 1:26.2.
In the lane, Its Payday Friday put away the challenge of Dukester, but the duo of Nothinbutanallstar and Coco Lindy continued ganging up on the leader.
As they hit the wire, the photo-finish camera determined that Nothinbutanallstar did get by Its Payday Friday, but Coco Lindy didn't and had to settle for show honours.
Pure Barre was scratched from the event and O'Mara said that may have played a role in the victory.
"We only got this by a nose", O'Mara said, "in fact, I wasn't sure we won at all, but that scratch put us a length closer at the start so maybe that was the difference. He's a game racehorse and gives his all every time he goes to the gate. He just doesn't give up!"
The victory was the second of the year in just three starts and sent Nothinbutanallstar’s lifetime bankroll to $197,464 on the strength of a lifetime scorecard of 13-11-7 from just 35 starts.
Nothinbutanallstar paid $4.00 to win.
Two divisions of the Optimist Late Closing Event for claiming pacers went postward on the midweek card, as well, and Acton Onelasttime and Allamericanextra proved victorious in their respective events.
Acton Onelasttime, driven by Bruce Ranger, took the lead just past the :28.2 opener and went on to post panels of :57 and 1:25.3 en route to a 1:54.3 win over Midwest Hanover (driven by Ed Hensley). Elkhorn Damian (Aaron Byron) had some traffic issues in the lane and had to settle for third, while American Gold and Yankee Flyer also earned minor awards.
Trained by Tony Dinges for owner Paul Richardson, Acton Onelasttime, a six-year-old son of Rambaran, won for the 25th time in his career. He's banked $76,368 and, on this night, paid $4.00 as the even-money favourite.
Allamericanextra pulled off a 14-1 upset for Aaron Byron in his division, storming from sixth turning for home to score a victory measuring three-quarters of a length in 1:55.
W F N (Mickey McNichol) finished second while there was a dead-heat for third between Matts Delivery (Kevin Wallis) and Goldstar Raider (Joe Pavia Jr.). Haverford Hanover finished fifth in the septet.
Owned by the Three Gees Stable and trained by Gary McDonald, Allamerican Extra, a rugged nine-year-old son of Astreos, rewarded his faithful with a mutuel of $31.40 and sent his lifetime bounty to $241,071. He now has won 37 times during a career spanning 220 starts.
With yet another healthy consolation payoff of $913.76 for a 20-cent investment in Pompano Park's Super Hi-5, the carryover going into Saturday night's card has exploded to some $130,000.
First-race post time for the Saturday Night Special events program is 7:30 p.m. with many of the sport's best female performers competing in the Valentines Day ‘Sweetheart Pace.’
(Pompano Park)