Pompano Park has announced a new world driving challenge between local legends and some of the world’s leading harness racing drivers that will take place on March 15 and 16 in an eight-race competition over the famed five-eighths mile oval in South Florida.
Hall of Fame drivers Wally Hennessey and David Miller will join Peter Wrenn and Kevin Wallis on the roster for the home team while Yannick Gingras, Dexter Dunn, Andrew McCarthy and James MacDonald will comprise the visitors.
Together, these eight icons in harness racing have amassed more than 60,000 wins and some $800 million in purse money.
Miller leads this grand octet of horsemen with more than 13,500 wins during his stellar career stretching over four decades and also leads in purse earnings with more than $265 million. The Columbus, Ohio native has won many of the sport’s most prestigious events and has been the pilot on some of its greatest performers, including last year’s Horse of the Year, Test of Faith, and the heralded Perfect Sting.
The ageless Wally Hennessey, a native of Charlottetown, P.E.I., drove his first winner at his home track in 1975 and last season, at age 65, had his best year in terms of wins with 435. With well over 11,000 career wins in the sulky, Hennessey is best known for his guiding the grand mare Moni Maker during her outstanding career across North America and Europe. Hennessey also has a win in the rich Woodrow Wilson Stakes, a $778,000 event at The Meadowlands in 1992.
Peter Wrenn, originally from Detroit, Michigan, has a history going back well over 40 years and has more than 10,000 winning drives accounting for more than $80 million in purse earnings. He has driven over 400 wins in 12 of those years with his peak being in 2007 when he drove 634 winners. Among his greatest stakes accomplishments is a win with Allison Hollow in the $347,800 Garden State Stake…at 64-1. He also has a win in the $500,000 Hoosier Cup with Arttriverderci in 2007.
Kevin Wallis, from London, Ont., has amassed more than 10,400 wins over his career encompassing five decades with his purse earnings over $50 million. Wallis has won more than 20 per cent of his races with Royalflush Hanover and Burning Point among his successes.
Yannick Gingras, a native of Greenfield Park, Que., had very humble beginnings in the sport with just three wins and $12,036 in purse money in his first year (1998). Since then, Gingras has burst into stardom with more than 8,000 wins and, last season, roared past the $200 million plateau in purse earnings. Competing at the highest level in the sport, in 2021, he won 10 stakes events with purses at $200,000 or more with Johan Paloma, Lous Pearlman, Blue Diamond Eyes and This Is The Plan among his successes.
Dexter Dunn, from New Zealand, had a few starts in the USA back in 2011 but gained a bit recognition beginning in 2018 with his first $1 million campaign. Since then, in the three years that followed, Dunn has won 1,280 races, good for more than $36 million in purse money. Among his successes last year were the grand trotting mare Manchego, Bella Bellini, Fire Start Hanover, Niki Hill and Fast As The Wind.
Andrew McCarthy, a native of Australia, had humble beginnings upon arriving in the U.S. in 2007 with 11 wins accounting for $243,446 in purses. The next year, he drove 67 winners and eclipsed the million-dollar mark in purse money. Since then, it’s been up, up and away for the 36-year-old as he has almost 3,000 wins to his credit with a resume showing more than $60 million in purse earnings with the 2021 season his best with 315 wins and $8.8 million in purse earnings. Among his successes were wins in the Breeders Crown and Kentucky Futurity with Jujubee and a Tattersalls win with Abuckabett Hanover.
Canada's reigning Driver of the Year James MacDonald, with more than 2,600 career wins to go along with $44.5 million in purses, has burst into stardom during the past decade. Last season was his best in terms of purse earnings with $7.5 million to go along with 322 wins. Etched in his resume are wins with Lindy The Great in the Maple Leaf Trot and Threepointbluechip in the Matron Stakes.
Speaking for the northern invaders, Gingras remarked, “We are looking forward to being in this competition so much because no one of us from up north have ever driven at Pompano Park and we have heard such great things about the track.
“We certainly don’t view this of a rivalry but, instead, we are thrilled to be a part of history here at Pompano Park and all we are looking for is safe, competitive racing and the home field guys like Wally (Hennessey) and Peter (Wrenn) and David (Miller) and Kevin (Wallis) will give us all we can handle on the racetrack.”
Dunn added, “Let me tell you, all of us respect the talent and achievements of the horsemen competing on the ‘Pomp’ team. If and when I get to there in years, I just hope I can compete half as good as they do today. They are all amazing in my eyes.”
On the “home team” side, Hennessey said, “This is quite a lineup of world class horsemen that will be here. I am sure that they will see world class racing right here at Pompano Park. To tell you the truth, I can’t wait!”
(With files from Pompano Park)