Fritzie Pic Up Man, driven by Wally Hennessey, scored a repeat victory in Pompano Park’s $10,000 Open Handicap Pace on Sunday night (May 14).
The six-year-old gelded son of Always A Virgin took command around the opening turn and went on to post a three and a half length victory over stablemate St Lads Lotto, handled by Gaston Lareau, in 1:51.3. Arsenal, with Dave Ingraham in the sulky and in the garden spot much of the mile, finished third four lengths away, while Goldstar Raider picked up the final award in the field shortened to four with the late scratch of Heart Felt.
In a post-race interview, Hennessey remarked, “With a horse like Arsenal in there, you expect a hot pace early and I was kind of surprised that I was able to out-brush him early and I was surprised again when he didn’t make a quarter move on me.
“I got away with a very reasonable half and, with no threats on the backside, he was all on his own the rest of the way.”
Trained by Gaston Lareau for the JP Houle Stable, Fritzie Pic Up Man scored his fifth win of the year in 19 starts, good for earnings of $36,945.
Lifetime, the classy gelding has 22 wins in 95 career starts and bounty of $178,907.
As the 1-5 favourite, Fritzie Pic Up Man paid $2.40 to win.
In the $6,500 Open 2 Pace, Stirling Cadillac, driven by Bryce Fenn, scored his third straight victory, stopping the timer in 1:52.1, a new lifetime mark.
The six-year-old altered son of Bettors Delight, 3-1 in the morning line, escaped at 11-1 while wiring together fractions of :26.4, :55.4 and 1:23.4 and pinning a win measuring three-parts-of-a-length on Prince Pinang (Tony Kerwood) with Cartoonist (Walter Ross, Jr.), closing fastest of all, third, one and three-quarter lengths away. Needles and Pins finished fourth while Surge Seelster was fifth in the septet.
After the race, Fenn said, “We had the outside post but he seemed determined to leave at the start and, when a horse feels that strong, I didn’t want to take him back.
“I even had a chance to set in the pocket early but he didn’t want any part of it, so I let him to what he wanted.
“Chet (trainer Poole) has him razor sharp right now. He handled like a ‘Cadillac’ tonight.”
Co-owned by trainer Chet Poole Jr. along with John Wasco, Stirling Cadillac won for the sixth time in 12 starts with his 2017 bounty vaulting to $20,220.
The winner paid $25.40 and enabled a Pick-5 carryover of $3,157 going into the Wednesday program.
In other Sunday night action, the Florida Amateur Driving Club event went to A Crown For Lindy, driven by Tom Eichas.
This 11-year-old gelded Cantab Hall warrior scored his 57th lifetime win and gave driver Eichas, who drives very sparingly these days, his first win since November 30, 2007, when he drove Swiss Laux to victory at Pompano Park. The winning time of 1:57 is a season’s best for A Crown For Lindy and the fastest winning mile for the driver.
A Crown For Lindy earned his seventh win in 16 starts this semester when Eichas sent his charge on a double-bubble bid three-eighths from home and went on to score a victory measuring four and three-quarter lengths over Thekeptman (Fred Cohen) with Revrac Harbour (John Campagnuolo) third. Zorgwijk Impact finished fourth while the early leader, New Scent, picked up the minor award.
The win for A Crown For Lindy was especially important as half of the horse’s earnings are earmarked for the charity Equine Assisted Therapy, courtesy of owner Dein Spriggs.
Allen Saul trains the gelding for Spriggs and the win pushed his career bankroll to $424,548. Off at 4-5, A Crown For Lindy paid $3.80 to win.
Racing continues on Wednesday with a highly competitive card with post time set at 7:20 p.m.
(With files from Pompano Park)