Bloodstockshalltab, a recent purchase by trainer/driver Ed Hensley, paid a big dividend on Wednesday night as he trotted the second fastest mile in Pompano Park history, stopping the timer in 1:53.3 on a blustery, cold (mid-50's) night by South Florida standards.
The five-year-old son of Cantab Hall accomplished his feat in the $15,400 Open Handicap Trot, pinning a defeat measuring five and three-quarter lengths on Dukester (Rick Plano) with My Revenuer (Tom Sells) third under the wire -- but moved up one notch to second after the judges disqualified Dukester for a pylon violation turning for home. Lugar finished fourth, 10 lengths away, while Adenium picked up the "nickel" in the full field of 10.
At the outset, the 9-5 second choice, Its Payday Friday, made a miscue so it was Adenium and Winemaster Hanover vying for supremacy with the latter taking command at the :27.3 opener. Meanwhile, Buddy Hally, away third from the rail, made a quarter move to the top and reached the half in :56.4 with Bloodstockshalltab already on the move from fifth and brushing strongly as the field moved on to the backside.
Bloodstockshalltab used a :27.4 blitz on the backstretch to secure the lead around turn three -- timed in 1:25.1.
From there, Hensley's charge was unthreatened during a :28.2 finale, reaching the finish in an officially timed mile of 1:53.67, edging Baseball Express (1:53.70), Hellava Hush (1:53.71), Tug River Dylan (1:53.74), Tweedle Dum (1:53.77) and Ahijuna Chucaro (1:53.79) for the second fastest trotting mile in track history. The track trotting record is 1:52 4/5 by Southwind Vavoom set in 2011.
After the race, Hensley said, "I bought this horse privately a few weeks ago. I thought he had talent and, while I wasn't surprised that he won, I was surprised that he trotted this much on this kind of night. I think it might be a new mark for him, too." (It is, with his old mark being 1:54 in a Meadowlands qualifier as a three-year-old.)
Hensley now has two wins in four starts with his new purchase and Wednesday night's win was the gelding's 12th in 61 career starts and sent his lifetime earnings to $196,062 -- $7,200 of that since the Hensley acquisition in mid-January.
The winner paid $5.40.
Pompano Park's $11,000 co-featured trot went to R G Rocket, driven by Dave Ingraham, in 1:56.1.
This seven-year-old altered son of Cincinnati Kid, trained by Mario Dessureault for owner Jamie Marra Racing, showed some early foot from post six to land in fourth, followed live cover on the backside to take command from Arriba Amigo around the final turn, and went on to score a five and a half length win over Highland Yankee (Wally Hennessey) with Pop I (Harry Landy) third. Arriba Amigo did finish fourth while Dream Lake earned the final award in the field of 10.
Knocking at the door with a 0-3-3 scorecard in six starts coming into the action, R G Rocket finally got his first win of the season -- 21st lifetime -- and sent his lifetime bounty over the $200,000 mark -- $203,449 to be exact.
As the 7-5 favourite, R G Rocket paid $4.80 to his faithful.
(With files from Pompano Park)