Skip To My Lou, driven by owner-trainer Joe Chindano Jr., survived pressure throughout the mile and, particularly, from both sides of the aisle in the stretch, to win Pompano Park's $11,000 Open Handicap Pace on Monday (March 22).
The tiny five-year-old gelded son of Sweet Lou covered his mile in 1:52, with his last half in :55.4 to repel the serious threats of Real Peace (David Miller) and Seeing Eye Single (John MacDonald) by a half length.
Leaving from post five, Skip To My Lou cleared Real Peace shortly after the wings folded and proceeded to an opening panel of :27. As Chindano began to give his charge a second-quarter breather, Seeing Eye Single decided to force the issue and, from fifth, rushed up to join the leader halfway through the mile in :56.1. These two continued to race as a team on the backside as the pace quickened — three-quarters in 1:24.1 — and, turning for home, Skip To My Lou drifted out a lane, allowing Real Peace to join the fray in the final yards.
Skip To My Lou held his ground at the winning post in Monday's Open Handicap Pace at Pompano Park.
Chindano said after the race: "I really didn't know how good he would be tonight because I gave him a week off to freshen up and only trained him lightly. He's so handy and he'll do anything on the racetrack to win, either on the front or off the pace. He sure dug in when it counted, that's for sure. He raced giant."
In achieving his sixth success of the year in nine starts, Skip To My Lou sent his 2021 bounty to $36,330 and $148,411 lifetime. Skip To My Lou paid $3.40.
Chindano also handled the winner of one of the faster miles of the night — 1:51 — by the Angie Coleman-trained Millennial, another son of Sweet Lou. This four-year-old used a :26.4 backside blitz from fourth to take charge and open up an insurmountable lead around the final bend before scoring by eight lengths in a new lifetime best performance over Mac Anover (Kevin Wallis) and Rocksapatriot (Dave Ingraham).
Owned by Gabe Wand, Millennial sent his career earnings to $41,990 with the win and paid $12.20 as third choice in the betting.
The $10,000 Open II Pace went to the highly-regarded Funknwaffles, driven by David Miller, also in 1:51. The seven-year-old altered son of American Ideal took charge at a hot :26.2 opener and carded subsequent panels of :55.3 and 1:23 before a :28 finale was just good enough to hold the surging Mach West (Wally Hennessey) safe by a nose.
Funknwaffles, trained by Tony Alagna for Crawford Farms Racing, paid $2.80 in continuing his comeback and assault on the million-dollar plateau in earnings — his now at $976,754.
Miller had a grand slam on Monday night, also scoring with Beyond The View ($4.60), Ideal Feeling ($2.40) and E Z Noah ($3.40).
Ideal Feeling, by the way, scored the fastest mile of the night — 1:50.4 — in an $8,000 optional claiming event. The six-year-old son of American Ideal, trained by Peter Blood for owner Rick Berks, drew off to score by four lengths for his 20th career victory, vaulting his lifetime bankroll to $286,958.
The Pompano Park Pick-6 continued to pay handsome dividends. Monday night's six winners — at 9-5, 3-2, 2-5, 5-1, 2-1 and 4-1 — paid $3,150.35 for a 50-cent ticket.
Racing continues on Tuesday night (March 24) with a guaranteed pool in the Pick-4 and a Super Hi-5 jackpot bursting at the seams at $92,691.35. Post time is set for 7:20 p.m.
(Pompano Park)