The visiting team from New York drew first blood in the Yonkers-Pompano Amateur Drivers Showdown on the Friday evening, March 26 program in South Florida but in the end they had to settle for a draw
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In the opening event of the two race showdown, Simeon Hunsdon made a crafty final half move to win with claiming trotter Killingtons Duke in 2:01.3. His Yonkers teammate, Stephen Oldford, cut the mile and held the runner-up spot with Travelin Lite. Team Pompano's Gro Formia took down third spot with Dwaynes World. Purses for both races were increased to $6,000 for the $4,000 claiming trotters.
"All of us are really thankful for the chance to come to Florida," Hunsdon said in his live post-race TV interview. "I'd like to tell you I had that all planned out but the owner and trainer of Killingtons Duke, John Fillipelli Jr., swore me to secrecy. So we went out there tonight with a secret strategy and it worked," Hunsdon joked.
In the other heat of the Showdown, Jamie Marra of Team Pompano executed a well timed final half move with Banker Ablaze to catch fraction-setter Whiteland Will in rein to teammate Leon Cable for a 1:59.3 decision. Hunsdon took the show prize with Conflicting Tales for Team Yonkers.
"He's just an old class trotter that we claimed at the start of February and he does it mostly by himself," Marra said of the 12-year-old Wall Street Banker-Blazing Gill gelding. "This was my fifth lifetime winning drive and this run of three straight wins lately has been great considering I went the first 33 drives after getting my license without a win. Most of all though, the spirit of the drivers' showdown is for charity. This is the second time this year we're making a $1,000 cheque presentation to the Broward County Horse Gate Equestrian Center in support of troubled and needy juvenile kids to get paired up with horses," Marra added. "Plus, we're really looking forward to the re-match when our Team Pompano meets them up at Yonkers."
The $12,500 feature event on Friday night at the Isle was the Fillies and Mares Open-2 Pace. Major Trap, in rein to Kevin Wallis, stole the half in :59.2 after establishing the lead in :27.1. The five-year-old Art Major-Hare Trap mare sprinted home to win in 1:55.2 to hold off a hard closing Wild Ride Hanover with Gaston Lareau in the bike. Cam Town Carrie, partnered by Dan Clements, followed in for third. The race was in honour of the late Pompano commentator and racing expert Larry Albano.
"We're really pleased that so many people here remember Larry and that his memory is honoured with a top race like this every year at Pompano. He passed away in 2004 and I know he'd be pleased with this," said Dennis Albano, Larry's brother, who made a special blanket presentation to Major Trap and winning owner-trainer Ron MacArthur.
(Pompano Park)