On Sunday, March 13 at Pompano Park, New Zealand's Danny Blakemore emerged victorious in the first-ever Isle International Amateur Driving Championship.
The DVD video store owner scored in his only Sunday drive in the competition to wind up with 41 points in the competition, thus pinning the defeat on Dein Spriggs (who earned 36 points) while Italy's Enrico Columbino and Germany's Michael Gutsche finished in a dead heat for third with 31 points.
The seven-race competition was held over the course of the weekend at the south Florida oval and was highly contested. The winner was determined after the final race – Blakemore was on the sidelines and Spriggs needing a win to snatch the title. Although, that was not to be, as Spriggs' charge finished third in the final event after having taken a cozy pocket ride for the entire mile.
Blakemore drove Benns Score Keeper to a win in the first race on Sunday night – his second victory in the seven-race competition – but, that being his fifth drive in the two-day event, was on the sidelines ‘looking in’ as each driver in the competition had, at the most, five drives.
Spriggs, who was scheduled to drive in all three events on this final night, was cut to two drives with the scratch of one of his entrants in the first of three Sunday races.
Whether that made any difference in the outcome will never be known, but he was listed to drive the favourite in the first event, but that entrant was scratched due to lameness. By the rules, Spriggs received two points because of the scratch, but, as Spriggs said, "you never know whether that made a difference or not.
"The health of the horse is always paramount to the importance of the drive. Since the horse had a situation with lameness, I may have only gotten one point anyway and the real ‘point’ is to take care of the horse!
"Look, Danny (Blakemore) had to sit on the sidelines the last two races, too, so he performed well when it counted. Kudos to Danny. He deserved to win."
Indeed, with 29 points coming into Sunday night and only one drive remaining, Blakemore was in a must-win situation, as his main competitors, Germany's Michael Gutsche, Russia's Ivan Serik, Hungary's Andrea Fazekas, U.S.A.'s Spriggs, Austria's Johann Preining, Spain's Jaume Bassa and Italy's Enrico Columbino were all within striking distance with each having enough drives on the final night to win the competition.
But with Blakemore giving Benns Score Keeper a picture perfect-drive in the opener, the Down Under driver eliminated some of those competitors, leaving only five in the battle for the top spot going into the second round on Sunday.
In that opener, Benns Scoer Keeper, an eight year-old chestnut son of Lockkeeper, was away in good order as Pilgrims All In, handled by Finland's Tapio Hoikka, used his rail post to slice through hot opening panels of :28.1 and :57, keeping Imminent Response, driven by Andrea Fazekas, outside looking in. On the backside, Swan Yankee, with Enrico Colombino handling the mare's lines, on a backside binge and moving along side the leader past the third station in 1:28.
That's when Blakemore found some room to roam, tilted Benns Score Keeper outside, then three wide, to have clear sailing in the lane.
With a :29.2 rally home, Benns Score Keeper was up in the final few strides to win in 1:57.4 prompting him to relate in a winner's circle interview that "it was a lovely trip and I had a choice of moving a bit earlier or being patient and I chose the ladder. Thank goodness for that!"
Swan Yankee did finish second while Pilgrims All In held on for third.
Favoured Increditable recovered from an early miscue to finish fourth while Imminent Response finished fifth.
Trained by James Kaspar for owner Marshall Makin, Benns Score Keeper won for the second time this semester and 25th lifetime, propelling his career bounty to $161,078.
As the 8-5 second choice, Benns Score Keeper paid $5.20 to win and finalizing Blakemore's point total at 41.
Spriggs captured the second event with Rhapsodys Star. The nine-year-old son of Rambaran earned his initial success of the year in nine starts with a very sharp win in 1:56 – his margin of victory being three lengths over Gold Star Kenny P (Colombino) with Dynamic Rayzer (Tapio Hoikka) third.
Mr Right Now (Serik) finished fourth, while Blended Whiskey (Michael Holmer) finished fifth in the octet.
Owned and trained by Daniel Gassien, Rhapsodys Star won despite being parked vying for the lead through hot early fractions of :27.4 and :55.4. Taking the lead on the backside, the winner rolled through three-quarters in 1:24.3 before coasting home in 1:56 prompting Spriggs to say in a post race interview, "it wasn't the easiest of trips for him with those fast fractions and that's why I had to keep after him in the lane – just to make sure!"
Rhapsodys Star, returned $5.20 as the favourite on the strength of the win – his 20th lifetime from 189 career starts.
The win propelled Spriggs’ point total to 30 after this round with one to go and needing a win in the finale to earn the crown.
It was not to be.
Spain's Jaume Bassa-Riera guided Joe Sanzeri's Flashy ($5.00), an eight-year-old daughter of The Panderosa, to a wire-to-wire victory in 1:56.2, off of panels of :27.2, :56.3 and 1:25.4.
Go Go Patty Jo finished four and a quarter lengths away in second, while Maid Of Silver, with Spriggs sitting chilly in the garden spot the entire route, third.
Colombino finished fourth with Southwind Vixen while Ton Of Luck, with Michael Gutsche in the bike, was fifth.
Flashy now sports 22 lifetime wins and $125,997 in career bounty.
Thus, the final tally showed Blakemore on top with 41 points, followed by Spriggs (36), Columbino and Gutsche in a heater for third with 31, Russia's Ivan Serik next with 27 and Spain's Bassa with 25.
Andrea Fazekas and Johann Preining, Jr. each earned 21 points while Tapio Hoikka (15), Michael Holmer (13) and Nils Oliv-Holm (12) completed the international roster.
In an awards ceremony after the event, prominent amateur driver Steve Oldford lauded the event that "had such a profound and positive effect on amateur driving, as well as the charities world-wide that have been selected by each of the participants.
"Oldford then added that this grand event would not have been possible without the generosity of the Florida Amateur Driving Club, the North American Amateur Driving Association and the United States Trotting Association, all of which made significant contributions both in monetary power and manpower.
"And we can't say enough about the entire staff of Pompano Park – Brett Revington, Greg DeFrank, Joe Frasure and their entire staff. They were, to put it mildly, just great!
"Wally Hennessey was so helpful, as well. He, of course, has won many events over in Europe and he really made all of our participants feel right at home at his stable.
"Finally, Roger (Huston) was his usual great self in describing the action. I believe this was the 172,213th race he has called."
Huston interrupted, saying it was, actually, his 172,226th, including this stint here at Pompano Park.
"It was an honour to me," Huston said, "to be a part of this historic event. I usually am not at a loss for words, but, in this case, I am. This was terrific."
FEGAT President Claes-L. Ljung echoed Oldford's comments by saying, "The time has come for all of us to band together and see how we can further this competition.
"The Florida Amateur Driving Club did a tremendous job in putting this competition together and their hard work paid off in an unimaginable manner. We can – and should – build on this initial step forward for this type of competition."
Champion Blakemore said, "The camaraderie during this event was just incredible. People and nations intertwining in a manner of goodwill and friendship was absolutely unbelievable. It certainly was a highlight in my life in this great sport.
"On a 'more serious note,' the DVDs of my two winning races will be available in my store very soon! I am sure they will become best sellers!"
(Pompano Park)