It's that time of year in South Florida when promising young horses begin to show up and North America Cup eligible Lucky Cadet just could prove to be one of the most promising of all in the months ahead
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The three-year-old Art Major-Yankee Luck colt did not race as a two-year-old. That decision appears to have been extremely prudent as the $90,000 purchase at the 2009 Lexington Selected Sale romped to victory in 1:56.1 with Bruce Ranger in the bike on the Wednesday, March 23 program at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park. Erv Miller trains Lucky Cadet for Mary Jane Anderson of Long Grove and Ron Michelon of Northbrook, Illinois.
Prior to his racing debut, Lucky Cadet prepped with a 2:00 qualifier at Pompano on February 26 and a 1:58 mile at Spring Garden Ranch on March 15, which featured a final half brush of :55.4. In his pari-mutuel debut, Lucky Cadet was eased off the gate into fourth position as Incredible Della, with Wally Hennessey in tow, posted fractions of :28.4, :57.4, and 1:27. Lucky Cadet handily improved position twice in the final half and then took the lead for good early in the stretch for a going away victory.
Two nights earlier, Hacienda had his final start in Florida before being shipped north. The three-year-old gelding by The Panderosa-Four Starz Emerald was a $45,000 purchase at the 2009 Lexington Selected Sale and is owned by Joel Benson Stables, Aaron Waxman, Mo Coo Stables and Jonathan Klee Racing Stables.
Hacienda won his first pair of lifetime starts in identical 1:53.2 clockings at Pompano with George Napolitano Jr. in the bike. He is staked to the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes, Adios Pace and Little Brown Jug and made his early career starts in South Florida from the care of trainer Christie Collins.
Upset In Top Trot
With Andover America returning from a two week layoff to the top trotting class in South Florida there was no place or show wagering on the $14,000 purse event on the March 23 card. However, the 1-9 favourite could muster only enough trot to garner a runner-up finish in the 1:55 mile as the sturdy veteran Gale Warning wired the field for a mild 6-1 upset.
It was the fourth start back in 2011 for Gale Warning the 45th career win for the eight-year-old Strong Gale-Lizs Promise gelding. Michele Lorenzo does the training of the winner of $470,080 for Ciro Gentile of Boca Raton and Rod Lorenzo of Deerfield Beach, Florida. Keystone Thomas, in rein to Doug Brown, finished third.
(With files from Pompano Park)