Pompano Awards To Uszak, 'Ornellaia'

You can't ask a horse to do much than win all of their starts and take a life's record in a single month. For those achievements seven-year-old trotting mare Ornellaia Dream and her groom, Joan Uszak

, were an easy and overwhelming choice for the February Horse And Groom Of The Month Awards at Pompano Park.

In the monthly ceremony before the third race of the March 26 card at the South Florida venue, Uszak received the monthly cash award to the groom of the winning horse as selected by the Florida chapter of The United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA).

“Ornellaia Dream is a real sweetheart to work with, not nearly as fussy as the other good mare Feel L A that we have in our barn," Uszak says. "This award is really well timed too, since the trainer I work for, Gaston Glaude, is dealing with a health issue right now. He's a true gentleman and a great horseman and has a real niche for the small but productive stable of trotters we campaign here at Pompano."

Against $8,000 claiming company last month, Ornellaia Dream swept to victory in all three starts with Tom Sells in the bike. The daughter of Fortuna Winner-Ornellaia topped off February with a life's record 1:57 performance on February 29. In addition to Feel L A, the Gaston Glaude stable also includes Pompano stalwart performers such as Duke Of Stormont and P C Moonshine.

"I've been grooming horses for almost 50 years since I started in Ohio back in 1964," said Uszak. "One of my best known bosses along the way was Ralph Baldwin for Castleton Farms. In that era I groomed Snow Speed who was the only horse to defeat the legendary Nevele Pride three times. I'm here at 5 a.m. every day, and if we're in a late race it means being here until about midnight but you just have to love what you do and help the horses relax and enjoy their work. Those have been the keys to the career I've had an am still enjoying.”

(Pompano Park)