Crazy About Pat, handled this night by Ricky Macomber Jr., scored a handy two length win in Pompano Park’s $15,000 Open Handicap Trot on Tuesday night.
The six-year-old gelded son of Crazed stopped the teletimer in 1:53.4 in scoring his first win in just two starts this year, and 24th career win.
Coco Lindy, the early pacesetter, finished second in the mile but was disqualified and placed sixth (and last) due to an extended break from the top of the stretch through the wire enabling Natural Herbie to earn the place honours for Verlin Yoder. Midnite Craze, driven by Ivan Davies, was moved up a notch into third, while Diamond Dagger and Pocket Trip earned the minors.
Indeed, it was Coco Lindy alert leaving and taking the field through an opener in :27.2 with Crazy About Pat, away in good order fourth and on the motor early, taking the lead after three-eighths of a mile.
With a half in :56.2 and three quarters in 1:24.4, Crazy About Pat was on a mission to protect his lead as they turned for home with Coco Lindy leaving the coziness of the pocket to challenge. But Coco Lindy made that miscue at the top of the lane and galloped all the way home, leaving Crazy About Pat unscathed the rest of his journey.
After the race, driver Ricky Macomber, Jr. noted, “Mr. Kelley (trainer Paul) said he’d be good tonight and he was more than good. He was great. Looks like he likes trotting in 1:53.4 since he did that in winning his qualifier a couple of weeks ago and was second to that Wind Of The North in his first start timed in 1:53.4. That’s not a bad time to be stuck on!”
Owned by the Patricia Stable, Crazy About Pat now has a lifetime bankroll of $609,919. As the even-money favorite, he returned a $4.00 mutuel.
In the $11,000 Open 2 Trot, Shes All In, bred, owned, trained and driven by Rick Plano, scored a handy win in 1:54.2, just one tick off of her lifetime mark.
The seven year-old daughter of Revenue S pinned a defeat measuring 1 ¼ lengths on the late charging My Revenuer, handled by John Cummings, Jr. Jesses Promise, with Jason Dillander in the bike, finished third, 1 ½ lengths off the winner while Goldstar Classic was fourth. Buddy Hally picked up the nickel in the septet.
It was Shes All In alertly leaving from Pompano Park’s coveted post five and taking the field through an opener in :27.3 before yielding to the aggressive Jesses Promise, who rushed up into the lead three-eighths into the mile and proceeded on through a half in :56.4 with the third station reached in a picked up 1:24.4 with Shes All In still sitting chilly in the pocket and Buddy Hally making a mild bid on the outside.
In the lane, Jesses Promise tried to protect her lead but Shes All In had that one measured in mid-stretch and rolled on by, easily holding off My Revenuer, closing fastest of all but no threat to the winner.
In a post-race interview, driver Plano said, “she (Shes All In) had just a perfect journey and, when I let have the racetrack in the lane, she was all business! She has been very good to me and always gives it all she’s got. I am very proud of this mare.”
Shes All In won for the second time in 10 starts this year and her 2-4-3 scorecard has resulted in 2016 earnings of $28,949. She banked $245,508 lifetime with 26 career wins in 161 lifetime starts.
As the even money tote-board favourite, Shes All In paid $4.20 to win.
Also on Tuesday night, Avivas Winner, a five-year-old altered son of Credit winner trained by John Podres for the Scheigert Racing Stable, wired a sharp field of trotters in 1:54.2, a new lifetime mark.
Wally Hennessey, edging ever-so-close to 9,000 lifetime wins, was in the bike for the win, just his second of the 2016 season —- the first one just last week when he won in 1:55.3, a lifetime best at that time.
Avivas Winner now has banked $69,456 in 62 career starts, seven of which have been winning efforts. He paid $7.40 to win.
Racing continues of Wednesday night with first race post time set at 7:30 p.m.
(with files from Pompano)