I Can Only Imagine ($3.00) was able to strut his stuff in showing his heels to nine rivals with a five and one-quarter length romp Saturday in winning the $25,000 opening round of the Isle Pompano Park Pacing Series
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Driven by Bruce Ranger, I Can Only Imagine started off the sixth race feature going right to front, but after an opening quarter mile in :26.3, it was Sugars Pride (Kevin Wallis) who was in command of the race. But that lead was short lived as Ranger came right back with I Can Only Imagine and they led the field at the half-mile marker in :55.1.
Racing down the backstretch, DArtagnan and driver Tom Sells came first-over to challenge the leaders and push them to a 1:24 three-quarters but then began to fade as Im In Luck looped three-wide on the final turn for driver Andy Santeramo.
But I Can Only Imagine would have no part of it as once he straightened out and started down the stretch he pulled away from the field to win in 1:51.1. Sugars Pride was second with Armbro Dynamic (Wally Hennessey) third.
It was the seventh win this year for I Can Only Imagine. The seven-year-old stallion by Cole Muffler, owned by Michael Polansky of Loudonville, New York and trained by Tom Harmer, now sports career earnings of nearly $390,000, $77,500 of that earned in 2009.
There were two $5,000 divisions of the opening round of the Four Wars Pacing Series for $4,000 claimers. The first division saw Front Page Star ($2.40) and driver Anthony Napolitano win in 1:54.1 over All My Best (Wally Hennessey) and Admiral Viking (Andy Santeramo). It was the eighth win this year for Front Page Star.
In the second division, Armbro Claret ($3.20) and driver Fern Paquet, Jr. held game to the wire, winning by a neck in 1:55.1 over Jolly Jate (Wally Hennessey) and Should The Boys N (Richard Simard). It was the sixth win this year for Armbro Claret.
(Pompano Park)