A field of six mares was assembled for the $14,000 purse top event on Tuesday evening at Pompano Park. When the dust settled the longest shot in the field got the last laugh
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Tom Sells made one of his patented patient drives with the unrespected Cam Town Carrie who was widest in the stretch to arrive home first at 24-1.
"I'd like to say I planned it that way but it sure is better to be lucky than good," said Sells. "I think it was a combination of things, the trip was fortunate with being to save so much ground and maybe most important was that we caught Special Sweetheart a little short this time."
The event marked the return to Florida of track record holder Special Sweetheart after she was campaigned last year and through February at Pocono, The Meadowlands and Yonkers. In November of 2009 she set the three year old filly pace track record at 1:52.1 and this night was making her first start back following a two month rest.
With Chuck Connor, Jr. in the bike, Special Sweetheart laid down all of the early speed in :26.3, :56.2 and 1:24.3. The first-over challenge of Major Trap and Wally Hennessey left Special Sweetheart out of resources for the final eighth, as she was passed by the pocket-sitter Bryan' Ideal with Dan Clements in tow and Major Trap. Coming to the wire they were all passed by Cam Town Carrie who sat at the inside in fourth position until the midway point of the final before mowing down the leaders coming to the payoff.
It was the second win in 12 starts in 2011 for Cam Town Carrie, a Cambest-Carrietown five-year-old mare trained by Tom Harmer for Ciara Stable of Willowbrook, Il. Cam Town Carrie now has 18 career wins and life's earnings of just under $140,000.
A Ranger Sighting
Though he still has his right arm in a sling, Bruce Ranger attended for the winner's circle after Tuesday evening's fourth race. Marc Major was subbing in the bike as Paper Princess scored a mild upset from off the pace in a mares conditioned pace for a purse of $8,800. Stewart Nemiro of the Ranger Stable trains Paper Princess for the Fred Monteleone Stable of Pompano Beach as she tied her life's mark of 1:54.1.
Ranger, the leading driver of the current meet and the top driver in the South Florida track's 47-year history, is expected to be out of action for several more weeks due to a separated right shoulder suffered in an April 12 racing mishap when he was driving pacing mare Stylish Soiree N.
(Pompano Park)