The combination of a late afternoon rain, which dulled the track for leaders into the stretch, worked in tandem with an excellent trip scenario to produce a huge upset in the Saturday night, February 4 feature at Pompano Park
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The $12,000 purse weekly edition of the Open Pace gave the impression until the closing strides that the recent dominance of Kommander Hawk, in rein to Fern Paquet Jr., would continue after he held the first over move by Red Star Paylater and Dan Clements at bay until mid-stretch. At that point, Anthony Napolitano showed Drive All Night clear road for the first time from a second over trip and he responded by pacing up to catch Kommander Hawk and Red Star Paylater in the final yards in 1:53.3.
Drive All Night was making his second start back in 2012 after last year's campaign based at Pocono Downs, which saw him earn almost $90,000. The seven-year-old Real Artist-U Drive Me Crazy gelding is being trained in Florida by Christie Collins for owner Joseph Limongelli of Pittston, Pennsylvania and he's now a career winner of $381,711. He was off at 23-1, the longest odds in the field of seven starters, to kick back $48.60 to win.
Recent $7,500 Claimer Wins Open II Event
The climb up the class ladder continues for Pams Legacy, as the former $7,500 claimer of five weeks ago stepped up to conquer the Open II class on the Saturday, February 4 program.
Joe Pavia Jr., who had campaigned Pams Legacy in his three-year-old campaign in 2011, was in the bike to enginer a pocket trip win in 1:54.2 in the $8,500 purse event over the pacesetting Saulsbrook Fame, driven by Dan Clements. Rudy Valentino, partnered by Anthony Napolitano, followed in for third.
Geoff Howles trains and co-owns Pams Legacy with Mary Gilbert of Pompano Beach, Florida. Since a claim from restricted $10,000 company on January 4, Pams Legacy has racked up a pair of wins and a second, in addition to the life's speed mark of 1:52.2 he earned on January 28.
Countdown On For Hennessey
Driver Wally Hennessey is now within 10 wins of joining the 8,000 club. He returned twice to the Pompano winner's circle on the February 4 program with $15,000 claiming pacer Talk To Tony and conditioned pacer Forty Carrots to bring his career total to 7,990 victories. The 55-year-old reinsman has competed from a winter base at Pompano for almost three decades and sits second again to Bruce Ranger in the 2011-2012 season standings.
(Pompano Park)