According to long serving Pompano trainer Gaston Glaude there's been nothing quite like marking his 70th birthday with a great 'Moonshine'
. He's referring to the leader of his five horse string on the Pompano Park backstretch, trotter PC Moonshine.
"I really can't put my finger on any one thing that's caused him to get so good lately," Glaude says of the six-year-old Malabar Maple-JM Gerula gelding. "I think it's just the case of him deciding to be a good horse. He's been handy off the gate and getting great trips from Anthony Napolitano and George Napolitano, Jr. If there is any glory for the way he's raced in the past month it should go to my assistant trainer Pierre Fortin.”
On the Wednesday, February 9 program P C Moonshine will try to continue to a long form spree which began on December 22. The 21-time career winner of almost $140,000 hasn't finished worse than second in his last seven outings, and that includes his life's mark effort of 1:53.4 on January 19 in the top winners over class carded each week in South Florida.
PC Moonshine first qualified at Ontario's Hanover Raceway in June of 2007. As a two-year-old, he was campaigned in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series by his breeders, Peter and Curtis Clements of Dobbinton, ON. In 2008, the trotter was campaigned by Tony Montini. In March of 2009, Guy Gagnon plucked PC Moonshine from a $6,000 claimer at Flamboro Downs from the care of Randy Fritz. Glaude then decided it was time to plunk down $10,000 for PC Moonshine at Ottawa's Rideau Carleton Raceway on August 30, 2009. After a few starts at Kawartha Downs with Kris Hie, Glaude brought his 'Moonshine' to Pompano Park in November of 2009. The trotter earned over $45,000 last year in campaigns at Pompano and Pocono Downs.
"For him to come that close to the track record (1:53.2, Tweedle Dum, 2007) was a big surprise but it was really great that he did it only two days after I celebrated my 70th birthday," Glaude says. "I've been training horses since 1978 and made a permanent move to live in Pompano Beach in 1990, and I don't miss the long cold months back in Sherbrooke, QC. I'll always have a very small stable and in 2010 I finally had my first $100,000 earning season and maybe I can do a little better this year. I've had over 50 starters already in 2011 so it'll be be my busiest year ever anyway. Hey, it took me until 70 but I guess it looks like me and 'Moonshine' are finally coming into our prime at the same time."
Top Mares Tuesday Battle
I'm Just Special will soon reach $600,000 in life's earnings and she headlines the ninth race of the Tuesday, February 8 program. The top weekly pacing mares event in South Florida will go to the gate for a $14,000 purse and is handicapped by earnings in the last five starts by Racing Secretary Greg DeFrank. In an interesting twist, Bruce Ranger will stay with the Tom Harmer-trained Cam Town Carrie from post 2 this week and George Napolitano, Jr. picks up the drive from post 8 with Im Just Special.
(Pompano Park)