A pedigree that quickly became familiar in South Florida last November was at the forefront of the Friday night, February 5 proceedings at the Isle Casino Racing at Pompano Park
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Im Just Special, a five-year-old mare by Camluck-Ladys Special Girl scored a dominant class dropping victory in 1:52.4 with co-owner Ted Colby of Bronxville, New York in attendance for the occasion. In 2008 at age three, Im Just Special was a winner in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series, the Grand Circuit Simcoe Stakes and the Standardbred Breeders Ontario Association stakes.
Tom Artandi trains both Im Just Special and her younger sister, Special Sweetheart. The latter set the three-year-old filly pace track record of 1:52.1 at the Isle last November. Im Just Special made only nine starts in 2009 in her four-year-old campaign and earned $8,500 last year, but prior to that at ages two and three she'd banked over $470,000 while competing against many of the continent's best in her division.
Anthony Napolitano topped all drivers on the Friday night card with three winners. In addition to Im Just Special and claiming mare Sees Alookin from his own barn, he also reined in Tara Bow to her 50th career win in a mares claiming pace. The 11-year-old Electric Yankee-First Appeal mare thus became a repeat winner from the red hot Paul Holzman barn for owner Fred Reitberger of Boca Raton.
The top event of the program was the Fillies and Mares Open-2 Pace for a $10,000 purse. Just before the rain began after the third race, Major Trap was a sharp front-end winner through fractions of :26.3, L56.4, 1:24.4 and 1:52.3 in rein to George Napolitano Jr. The Art Major-Hare Trap five-year-old mare is owned and trained by Ron MacArthur of Boynton Beach, Florida. It was her second win in six trips this year and this life's mark effort increased her career bankroll to almost $125,000. Coreys Apache with Wally Hennessey up and M A Jackie in rein to Bruce Ranger followed next under the wire.
Saturday evening, February 6 brings forth one of the top programs of the 2009-2010 season at The Winter Capital Of Harness Racing at 7:05 p.m. EST. The $50,000 purse Bernard Goldstein Memorial Invitational Pace is the focus of the 16 race doubleheader agenda, supported by $30,000 purses for the Open Trot and for the Fillies and Mares Open Pace. In addition to free Pompano live programs for all on-track patrons, a Saturday evening free entry sweepstakes contest is held in which three lucky fans get a chance to make wagers with a single race bankroll of up to $250.
(With files from Pompano Park)