Hall of Fame driver Wally Hennessey had a Hall of Fame Night at Pompano Park on Wednesday night, winning five of the nine races, including a sweep of the two feature events.
Hennessey kicked off the program with a handy win back of the amazing mare Godiva Seelster in the $8,500 co-featured "Winners Over" pace for mares. In winning, Godiva Seelster extended her streak of paycheques to 55 covering her every start as a three-year-old, four-year-old and, thus far, five-year-old seasons.
Taking the lead as the gate's wings folded, this daughter of Camluck clocked panels of :27.2, :56.3 and 1:25.3 before an eye-popping :26.3 sprint home left her five and a quarter lengths clear of Artful Impulse, driven by Andy Santeramo. Real Nice Girl and Joe Sanzeri teamed up to be third, almost 10 lengths away, with Keystone Christa and Goldstar Rockette next in the quintet.
In a post race interview, Hennessey said, "You can pretty much just copy what I said about her last week. The fractions were just about the same and she just keeps on doing this all on her own. It seems like I never ever have to ask her for anything. She might not win every start....but she sure tries hard every start. She's just amazing that she has said so good so long."
Trained by Dan Hennessey for owners Paul and Patricia O'Neil, "Lady Godiva" now sports a 6-3-0 scorecard in nine starts this year, good for $37,500. She's now banked $147,304 lifetime to go along with her 1:51.1 mark.
Off at 1-20 in the betting, Godiva Seelster paid $2.10 to win.
After capping off the early Daily Double with The Muscler ($5.60), Hennessey came back in the third race to capture the other co-feature, the $8,500 "Winners Over" trot with Count Speed, also trained by Dan Hennessey for the O'Neils, in 1:55.4.
Count Speed, a six-year-old gelding by Majestic Son, also had an easy time of it, taking the lead at the word "go" and then proceeding through sensible fractions of :28.2, :57.2 and 1:26.4 before using a :29 finale to score an unscathed win measuring one and a half lengths over My Revenuer and Tom Sells. Gold Savage, handled by Mickey Mc Nichol, finished third followed by On The Tab and Verdi (Count Speed's stablemate), the latter making a rare miscue just past the opening station.
In winning, Count Speed stretched his winning streak to six -- he's now six-for-eight this year -- good for a 2015 bounty of $25,720 and $223,013 career-wise.
Count Speed was 2-5 on the board and paid $2.80 to win.
Win number four for Hennessey came in the conditioned trot with Legend Field ($8.80), this chestnut five-year-old son of SJs Caviar just up in the final stride to win in 1:57.
Hennessey capped off his "Hall of Fame" night by guiding the claiming pacer American Gold to his fourth straight win -- this one in 1:54.1 as the 7-5 favourite.
Hennessey now has 8,755 lifetime wins.
Racing continues on Saturday night at Pompano Park with a carryover in the Super Hi-5 of $1,783.71. Post time is 7:30 p.m.
(With files from Pompano Park)