Basketball's March Madness is almost upon us, but there was February Madness at Pompano Park on Saturday night as the Italian-American Amateur Challenge got underway in the first of a two night, four-race series.
After the first three "quarters," the score is tied at 63 with the second race on Sunday night the tie-breaker to determine the winner.
Dein Spriggs and Gary Barbere scored wins for the American contingent while Antonio Simioli of Naples, Italy took top honours in the Saturday night finale.
Spriggs scored a gate-to-wire win with the classy A Crown For Lindy, an 11-year-old gelded son of Cantab Hall, in 1:58.2, holding off the determined late rally of Chococlate Explosion, with Ciro Ciccarelli from Naples, Italy in the bike, by a half-length. Garlandsandpearls was third for Luigi Farina of Maddaloni after being prominent all the way. Naples' Antonio Simioli was fourth with Tymal Recap while Holiday Spirit was fifth for the Leon Cable of the Florida Amateur Driving Club (FADC).
Trained by Rob Harmon for owner Spriggs, A Crown For Lindy made his 200th career start a winning won for his 53rd career victory to send his career bounty to $411,659.
He aid $3.20 to win as the 3-5 choice.
So, after the first quarter, Italy was in front by a "February Madness" basket, 22 to 20.
The second event was won by Gary Barbere for the FADC, driving Skads Winner to a 1:59.2 win.
Owned and trained by Terry Farrington, Skad's Winner, a 12-year-old altered son of Broadway Hall, took command three-eighths in and went on from there and earned his first win of the year in seven tries, pinning a narrow defeat--a diminishing head--on the late charging Blueridge Empire, driven the the FADC's Jeff Schaefer.
Nouvelles Victory, driven by Ron Oldfield, was third while Hyannis Hanover and Ciro Ciccarelli teamed up to finish fourth. On The Tab was fifth with Luigi Farino in the bike.
Not only did Skads Winner get his initial win of the year, it was Barbere's first success since April of 2016--though he has only been making sparse appearances in the sulky.
Skads Winner, off at 17-1, paid $36.40 to his faithful.
After that second quarter, it was the U.S.A. leading 50 to 34.
The "third quarter" of the four-race competition was a thriller as there were four horses on the wire at the end of that 1:58.4, but it was Italy's Simioli getting his first win on U.S. soil--335th lifetime--guiding B Cor Thomas, nailing Mad Ciw Lisa, driven by the only woman in the competition, Elena Villani from Pompei, Italy, by a nostril.
The fast-closing Pop My Buttons was just another nose away in third for Jamie Marra of the FADC while Divination was a neck off the winner in fourth for Luigi Farina. Sky Walker's Rush N Supreme was fifth.
B Cor Thomas, owned and trained by Fannie Saul Beaulieu, earned his first win of the year in five starts with this 10=year-old son of Mutineer now showing $76,719 in lifetime bounty.
When the results of that event went official, a mutuel of $34.60 was posted and the score after the third quarter was "dead-even" at 63 with the tie-breaker scheduled for Sunday's second race.
FADC President Dein Spriggs said after the Saturday competition, "They whipped us when we went to Italy last year and we are going to try and even the score on Sunday.
"This is a wonderful competition that promotes our grand sport and enables us to bring to our fans just another aspect of harness racing and its impact around the world.
"We are so pleased to have these wonderful horsemen and woman here but, at the same time, we are going to try and even the score on Sunday.
"It should be a very interesting 'fourth quarter' in this February Madness to the winner's circle."
Sunday's 11-race program features an Open 1 Handicap Pace with Panocchio installed as the 9-5 morning line in that event. Among his six worthy opponents are Rocks Z Tam, Mystic Desire and Drachan Hanover.
Panocchio has won 10 of his 12 Pompano Park starts this season and has 52 lifetime wins for owner Emile Johnson Jr., who co-owns with trainer Jim Mattison. Pompano Park's leading driver, Wally Hennessey, will be in the bike back of the classy seven-year-old.
Sunday's Pompano program features many items in the "better for the bettor" department, as well. There are carryovers in the Pick-5 ($1,928) and Pick-6 ($1,329) and there is a $20,000 Guarantee on the Sunday Pick-4, conducted on races six through nine. The Super Hi-5 carryover now stands at $,2628, as well. Post time is set for 7:20 p.m.
(With files from Pompano Park)