The "stars" were shining brightly at Pompano Park on Monday (March 15). David Miller led a parade of driving stars in the 10,000-win club with six wins on the card, and Wally Hennessey and Peter Wrenn combined to win three of the four other races, giving the prestigious club nine of the 10 races on the card — the only other win was recorded by Dein Spriggs in the Florida Amateur Driving Club event.
Miller, who now has 13,242 wins benefitting owners to the tune of over $250 million, scored with Saulsbrook Deputy ($9.20), Beyond The View ($3.80), B Like Cruiser ($2.40), Pauly Wally ($11.60), Gemalous ($5.80) and Seeing Eye Single ($4.00) — the latter in the $10,000 featured Open II Pace.
In that event, the six-year-old gelded son of Dragon Again, trained by David's daughter, Devan, for owner Sylvia Burke, stopped the timer in 1:51.2, just getting up in the final stride to edge by the pacesetting Alluneedisfaith N (Mike Simons) with La Rockin Sampson (Ken Holliday) third.
Alluneedisfaith N racked up early fractions of :26.3 and :55.3, with a :27 third panel a necessity to hold off the threat of Stone Hanover around the final bend. Meanwhile, La Rockin Sampson, in the garden spot throughout moved on through as these three were joined at the sixteenth pole by Seeing Eye Single, whose late surge proved best in the photo.
The win was the third this semester for Seeing Eye Single — and 22nd lifetime — sending his career bounty to $466,542.
David Miller said in a post-race interview, "I was out following cover around the second turn, but it's tough to do much damage on the backside when they're going at what turned out to be a :27 clip. But this horse is always in the hunt and responded like he does so often, especially when they turn for home."
Hennessey, with 10,745 wins, kicked off the festivities with American Arrow ($17.40) and followed with Record Machine ($3.20) scoring in the first leg of the Pick-3.
Wrenn, who has 10,337 wins, scored in the $9,000 Open III with his newly-acquired Maxdaddy Blue Chip ($6.60) in the night's fastest mile — 1:51.1 — wiring his foes off panels of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:24, and sealing the issue with a :27.1 closer over Real Peace (David Miller) and Funknwaffles (Tom Jackson).
The lone other race, for the FADC, went to Spriggs, who catch-drove Tech Titan, an eight-year-old altered son of Muscle Hill, to a $19.40 upset.
Racing continues on Tuesday (March 16) with a guaranteed $20,000 Pick-4 pool highlighted by an industry low 12 per cent takeout, and a Super Hi-5 finale, which now sports a ballooning jackpot of $70,618. Post time is set for 7:20 p.m.
(Pompano Park)