One of Florida's top fan favourites of recent vintage, Nillabomb, has returned to the top of the heap to add to her legacy
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By the numbers, the iron tough mare now has 39 career wins at 15 different venues and with 31 drivers over the course of her career. The distinctively-coloured roan mare had been hinting in recent weeks at another breakout win. In the $12,000 Mares Open Handicap Pace it all came together as she responded with the most late stretch pace to win in 1:52.2 highlighting the Monday evening, program at Pompano Park.
The weekly event for the top mares was extremely contentious in the early going as Runaway Tray gave up the quarter call lead to Billie Blue Chip in 27 seconds. Going to the half, Looney Dune was moved to the front in 55 seconds. Into the third quarter, Billie Blue Chip moved out of the pocket, providing outside cover for Special Sweetheart and Nillabomb, partnered by Wally Hennessey, to the final turn in 1:23.2. Into the stretch, Billie Blue Chip had surged to the front but was tiring from two strong moves. That cleared the way for Special Sweetheart and Nillabomb to brush widest of all and Nillabomb was the best late to win going away. Dovetail weaved through between tiring rivals to take third prize.
Eric Beach has trained Nillabomb, a graduate of the Michigan Fair Circuit, for all of her 141 career starts, 39 wins, and $414,955 in earnings. Ownership is held by Trifecta 24 Corp. The well-timed off-the-pace tactics by Wally Hennessey brought his lifetime win total to 7,991 in the bike.
In the $8,500 Mares Open II Handicap Pace, Cruisin In Pink was an impressive first-over winner in 1:54 over Bryans Ideal and C R Hope. Rick Plano trains and drives the six-year-old Yankee Cruiser-Rella Hanover mare for Maryann Plano of Pompano Beach, FL. The same connections also won on the Monday evening card with claiming pace mare Aries Angel.
(Pompano Park)