Gaston Glaude continues to be the living proof that it's never too late in life to combine fun and prosperity in the harness racing business
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"I've loved the life in Florida for many decades and the way these trotting mares are racing now is the icing on the cake," said Glaude. "I'm happy with just a very small stable and this year I'm just really enjoying this ride."
His trotting mares came very close to a sweep of the daily double on the Tuesday evening, May 3 program at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park. Feel L A, an eight-year-old daughter of Feel Like A Winner-Keystone Nocturne was kept well back of fast fractions by driver Tom Sells in the first race to sweep up and capture a life's mark of 1:56 in the tilt for $10,000 claimers. In the second half of the daily double, the Glaude stable starter was Ornellaia Dream and she surged to the stretch lead in the event for $8,000 claiming trotters only to be caught at the wire by the class dropping Prince Rocco, in rein to Gaston Lareau. All of this was in addition to a photo finish loss less than 24 hours before with another member of his stable, Dubois Of France.
The statistics show the 70-year-old conditioner from Sherbrooke, Que. is having a career best year. From 66 starters in 2011 to date, Glaude has amassed an excellent slate of 18 wins, nine seconds, and eight third place finishes for over $80,000 in purses. For the current Pompano meet, which began last October 16, Glaude has a boxscore of 21-10-13 in 95 starts and his UTRS continues to hover in the .320 range.
"Those mares are just what they are and they are making me look good right now. Everyone in this business knows you need some to be racing well to support those that aren't. That's how it is for me since my best horse right now, P C Moonshine, is on some time off. Ornellaia Dream and Feel L A are low maintenance mares and I hope I can keep getting them classified right. They're making me look good," he said with a laugh.
In other action, the new late closing Appraisal Trotting Series began on the Tuesday evening with a pair of $6,000 divisions in the first leg.
Conceivable Motion, a four-year-old Monte Hall-Centrifical Motion mare, stepped up with a front end life's mark of 1:57 with Dan Daley in the bike for owner-trainer Michael Perzow of Lake Worth, Florida. She defeated Judith, in rein to Chuck Connor Jr., and Martin Morel's Rebel Windsong.
In the other $6,000 split, Wildfire equalled her life's mark of 1:57.4 with Dan Clements in the bike. Joe Kroll trains the four-year-old mare by Famously-Giant Wonder for Robert Reichard of Winter Park, Florida. Wildfire defeated Ultimate Control, with Wally Hennessey in tow, and All Power, partnered by Richard Simard, was third.
The Tuesday evening card also featured a stretch long duel and tight photo finish in the weekly top mares pacing class for a $14,000 purse. Bryans Ideal, in rein to Dan Clements, cut the mile and held off the pocket sitter Major Trap, driven by Wally Hennessey, by a scant nose in 1:53. Cam Town Carrie, partnered by Tom Sells, was third. Bryans Ideal is trained by Jim Mattison and he shares ownershp of the five-year-old Western Ideal-Diamond Mil mare with Emile Johnson Jr. of Athol, Massachusett.
(Pompano Park)