John Campagnuolo of Loxahatchee, FL was both happy and surprised with the winning effort of his stable member Ultimate Control in the $16,000 Appraisal Trotting Series which highlighted the Tuesday program at Pompano Park
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"Really, we bought him very reasonably just over a year ago at a sale in Ohio for me to drive in the Florida Amateur Driving Club events, at least that was the plan at the time," said Campagnuolo after the five-year-old Pegasus Spur-Hornby Heather gelding captured the event in a life's record time of 1:56.4. "He surprised me with the way he raced in the legs of the series by cutting the mile and finishing second. When Wally Hennessey drives him, he just lets him trot through the turns and that's why he's a professional driver and I'm not, I'm really afraid of him breaking in the turns when I'm in the bike. Everything worked out just perfectly tonight and (trainer) Tom Bigler deserves a lot of credit for how far this trotter has come.”
Lugar, in rein to Richie Simard, was cut loose to post fractions in :27.2, :57.1 and 1:26.3 with Ultimate Control lurking in the pocket before tilting to the outside and moving off to a clear lead on the final turn. Race favourite Wildfire, in rein to Dan Clements, was mired in eighth throughout the mile and closed around heavy traffic for second. Bobby Smolin guided 25-1 longshot Judith in for third. Ultimate Control shaved more than three seconds off his life's mark in the victory.
"I have a major trucking company here in Florida which is extremely busy more than nine months of the year and a young family so harness racing is my main diversion, I just love it," Campagnuolo explained. "Trapper's Salute was probably my best stakes winning horse in the past and I now have a share ownership of Idyllic with Casie Coleman up in Ontario. I'm really fortunate to have lots to look forward to in 2011."
Nillabomb Back On Her Game
After weaving through traffic for a share of the dead heat win last week in the top pacing mares weekly event in South Florida, the distinctive roan mare Nillabomb proved it was no fluke as she came right back to win decisively on the May 17 program in the $14,000 event.
After Major Trap and Wally Hennessey made the pace in :27.2, :56.3 and 1:24.2, Devachan in rein to Mike Micallef moved out to seize the lead on the final turn and into the stretch. Stalking uncovered on the outside was Nillabomb driven by Chuck Connor, Jr., and the same two mares involved in the May 10 dead heat dueled through the stretch. Nillabomb, a six-year-old Admirals Galley-Be A Little Lady mare with over $366,000 banked, edged away this time in the closing strides to stop the clock in 1:53.1.
It was the 35th career win in the care of trainer Eric Beach and for the ownership group of Trifecta 246 Corp. of Linden, MI. Devachan held second while Bryans Ideal with Dan Clements in tow brushed in for third.
Schedule Change In Two Weeks
Post time is 7:05 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday at Pompano Park. Tuesday programs are dropped from the schedule in June and Monday racing is also dropped in July in the final month of the current meet.
(Pompano Park)