Florida's older trotting mare of the year in 2011, Wildfire, is truly getting better with age
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In the mid-week top trot for an $8,000 purse at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, the five-year-old mare by Famously out of Giant Wonder was kept in line third behind the fast first half fractions of :26.4 and :55.4 set by Whosgoinwhosstayin with Wally Hennessey in tow. Up the backstretch, driver Dan Clements was able to improve Wildfire's position up to the pocket heading into the last turn after the three-quarters flashed up in 1:25.1. A :30-second final quarter was all that was needed for Wildfire to step to a life's mark of 1:55.1 over Whosgoinwhosstayin. Coco Lindy, in rein to Frank Antonacci, was making his first start of 2012 and that career winner of over $232,000 brushed up for third.
Joe Kroll trains Wildfire for owners Leah and Ron Schaefer of Weirsdale, Florida.
Also on the mid-week program, trainer Mike Deters of Coconut Creek, Florida harnessed up a trio of trotting winners.
The conditioner's big night started when New Revenue swept up to victory in the first race with Bruce Ranger in the bike. Two races later, another winner emerged from the Deters barn when Mr Party Man was reined in by Tom Sells in another $4,200 purse conditioned test. Deters completed his training triple on the card's co-featured seventh race for a $6,700 purse when Prairie Big John came from well back at the half to earn a life's mark of 1:55.4.
Deters co-owns all three winners in partnerships with Laurie Lee Poulin of Loxahatchee, Florida, Larry Barnett of Livingston, New Jersey and Fred Morosini of Deerfield Beach, Florida.
(Pompano Park)