Max, driven by David Miller, stepped up a notch to the Open Handicap class and scored a game win in a season's best 1:53.4 on Monday night (March 21) at Pompano Park.
The seven-year-old gelded son of Yankee Glide, making his 99th career start, led every long stride of his mile in pinning a one-length defeat on Flagman (Rick Plano). Keystone Apache (John MacDonald) rallied late to be third, 2-3/4 lengths away while The Lionking AS, in the garden spot much of the way, finished fourth over Absolut Uncertenty.
Max enjoyed the benefit of having the coveted five post as his arch-rival this night, Flagman, was handicapped with the outside nine post -- though there were only six horses in the field.
As Flagman lagged off the gate by a length or so at the start, Max was in full flight from stride number one and into the lead as The Lionking AS settled in the garden spot with Absolut Uncertenty protecting his rail post position third and Keystone Apache fourth, Born To Thrive fifth and Flagman last, close to 10 lengths away.
Clocking early fractions of :27.4 and :56.4, positions remained unchanged as the field moved on the backside. That's where Flagman began his first-over sprint forward, reaching second, just a length away, at the third station in 1:25.3.
That's about as close as Flagman got to Max as the latter was well in hand during a :28.1 finale to seal the deal.
In reflecting on the event, MIller related, "This was a very talented field Max beat tonight. The key was at the start I thought when we got a healthy jump on Flagman, who, obviously, is now in the same category as Rick's other great one (Toys For You). I glanced at the replay and found him, maybe, 10 lengths back of me so, the way I look at it, I was 10 lengths better early and he could only get nine of those lengths back the rest of the way. So, 10 minus nine is one and that was the winning margin! I wasn't surprised that he won as he has been knocking on the door in this class just about every start."
For Max, the win was his second of the year in seven starts pushing his 2022 bounty to $23,340 and lifetime earnings to $310,695 on the strength of 26 career wins.
Devan Miller trains for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi.
Off at 1-2, Max paid $3 to win.
The $12,600 Open II Trot went to Star Track Hanover for Wally Hennessey in 1:55.4.
The six-year-old altered son of Chapter Seven led at every pole clocking panels of :28.3, :57.3 and 1:27 before a :28.4 sprint home left him three-parts-of-a-length the best over Crossfit Mouse (Corey Braden) with In Secret (Miller) third. Enzio and Sooo Handsome picked up the final two awards in the septet.
Owned and trained by Susanne Lopez, Star Track Hanover earned his third win of the year and now shows a 2022 scorecard of 3-1-2 in 10 starts, good for $26,650, rapidly approaching his entire earnings for 2021.
As the 6-5 choice, Star Track Hanover paid $4.40 to win.
Also, but unlike the famed "Thrilla in Manila" or "Waterloo," Pompano Park has announced an "epic battle" of its own as two great announcers -- Gabe Prewitt and Pete Aiello -- are going to settle their differences on the racetrack on Monday, April 2 over the famed five-eighths mile oval.
Both have been arduously prepping for the one-mile event with barbs being belted out from both sides of the aisle.
Aiello threw the first barb saying, "If Prewitt thinks he had home field advantage, he is grossly mistaken. I will rip him to shreds."
Prewitt returned fire by saying, "If you think someone as puny as Aiello thinks he's going to come into my house and prove supreme, he's got another thought coming!"
With these two bantering back and forth like children, this "Romp at the Pomp" has now become re-branded as "The Battle for the Rattle!"
Stay tuned for updates.
Meanwhile, racing continues of Tuesday night with a $15,000 guaranteed pool on the track's popular Pick-4 and a Super Hi-5 finale with a carryover of $80,395. Post time is set for 7:20 p.m.
(With files from Pompano Park)