With a fast track, no wind, and a temperature well into the 60s it was surely one of the rarest of occurrences and utopia for the longshot lovers
. The longest odds horses in two consecutive races came up winners on Tuesday at Pompano Park.
In the fifth race, May Street Bon was kept well back of a fast pace and swept up to win a $10,000 purse winners over event for pacing mares. Ricky Macomber was in the bike for the 26-1 upset which returned $54.40 to win. Tanah Merah Farms of Springfield, IL shares ownership of May Street Won with trainer Dick Macomber of Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
In the next race another winner huge upset emerged from far back. This time it was trotting mare Feel L A in rein to Tom Sells. The hard-closing mare races for owner/trainer Gaston Glaude of Pompano Beach, FL and she was overlooked to the tune of 69-1 to kick back $141.20 for a $2 win ticket.
Those two bombshells kicked off the Tuesday evening Pick-4 and there were no winning tickets to be found, resulting in a carryover of almost $3,200 into the Pick-4 wager for the Wednesday, February 9 program. By the time Wednesday evening's fifth race leaves the starting gate the Pick-4 wager, with a reduced 15% takeout, is expected to have a total pool of over $10,000 up for grabs.
Dillander Scores Biggest Florida Win
The top race on Tuesday in South Florida wasn't exempted from the evening's trend of upset winners.
In the mares winners over $10,000 lifetime handicap pace, Best Around emerged from a perfect pocket trip to nose out Im Just Special at the wire in 1:53.
"That's my biggest win so far this meet and I was really thankful for the chance to drive a mare of this caliber," said driver Jason Dillander. "I really know how much she could get off the gate. The trip couldn't have been any better though she needed the whole track to win it."
As Dillander was having his picture taken, George Napolitano, Jr. was taking Im Just Special back after the race and shouted over a good-natured barb that trainer Peter Pellegrino had given him the wrong horse to drive in the $14,000 purse weekly feature event. Pellegrino trained the top two finishers for completely separate interests.
"That's true; Im Just Special is the better mare from that barn, we caught the situation for this to happen, she has almost $600,000 on her card and the mare I drove will have $55,000 earned with this win," Dillander added. "But hey, I'll take it. I'm only here about another month before I head back to Indiana because they'll be qualifying up there just ahead of the new season. It's been a great first season at Pompano and I'd like to think I paid my dues with several winters in Chicago before getting here.”
(Pompano Park)