Lester Raber's Nothinbutanallstar, superbly driven by trainer Mark O'Mara, wore down a game Winemaster Hanover, handled by Bruce Ranger, to take top honours in Pompano Park's $12,500 Open Trot on Wednesday (March 25) in a lifetime-best 1:53.2.
The winning margin was a half-length with Flyhawk El Durado rallying for third, two and a quarter lengths away. High Blue, prominent in the garden spot for the first three-quarters, finished fourth while R G Rocket finished fifth to get the final award.
Beginning from the outside post in this talented sextet, O'Mara appeared to take back at the start but, just a few strides into the mile event, decided to send his 'all-star' searching for a spot a bit closer to the front and was parked out through an opening panel of :27.3. Meanwhile, Winemaster Hanover opened a two and a quarter length advantage over High Blue, with Nothinbutanallstar able to settle comfortably in third ahead of Flyhawk El Durado through a half in :56.1.
On the backside, Winemaster Hanover looked to accelerate a bit and opened a lead measuring close to three lengths, leaving High Blue in his wake and Nothinbutanallstar edging to the outside past the third station in 1:24.1.
Turning for home, Winemaster Hanover was looking to establish a new lifetime mark but, instead, Nothinbutanallstar wore him down late to establish a new career-best of his own.
In a post race interview, O'Mara had high praise for his four year-old saying, "Early on, it looked like there was so much going on that I thought I'd take back...but when the horse next to me [Coco Lindy], who usually likes to be well placed early, didn't leave, I decided I'd try and find a closer spot. We were outside a little longer than I would have liked, but my horse can grind forward a long way. He sure did that tonight. He's a pretty special trotter, I'll say!"
Winning for the fourth time in seven starts this year, Nothinbutanallstar, a son of Allstar Hall, pushed his seasonal bounty close to $30,000 -- $29,930 to be exact. He's banked $213,214 lifetime.
As the 7-5 favourite on the toteboard, Nothinbutanallstar paid $4.80 to win.
Also of note on the Pompano mid-week card was the win by No Bad Dreams in a conditioned event for three and four-year-old pacers.
This four-year-old son of Dream Away, owned by Jacalyn and Dan Boddie, stormed home in :27.4 to score in a lifetime-best 1:52.4 in this, his initial start of the 2015 campaign.
No Bad Dreams was driven to victory by trainer Marc Aubin, now 81 years of age. Aubin also picked up a training victory as Kevin Wallis drove his trainee Abreathoffreshart to a three length maiden win in 1:55.2.
The amazing Marc Aubin now has 3,367 career driving victories and has won events in seven different decades beginning in 1959 with the trotter Hal McPherson at Quebec's Connaught Park.
Pompano Park's Super Hi-5 carryover vaulted over the $70,000 mark for Saturday's program as Wednesday night's 5-1-9-2-3 combo had several winners each receiving $195.24 for their 20-cent investment.
Post time for Saturday's card is 7:30 p.m. and features a $2.5 million field going postward in the $15,400 Open Handicap Pace -- the Super Hi-5 finale.
(Pompano Park)