Even though he'd been beaten by less than a combined two lengths as the runner-up in his last pair of starts, five-year-old Malabar Maple-JM Gerula gelding PC Moonshine was overlooked to the tune of a whopping 30-1 in the $15,000 Open Handicap Trot at the Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park on the final Wednesday night program of the 2009-2010 meet
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With 1-2 favorite Baseball Express, in rein to Tom Sells, supplying the early fractions of :27.1, :56.3, and 1:26.1, PC Moonshine was positioned fourth until well into the third quarter. After Tom Cango was tipped out by Fern Paquet Jr., the battle was on with Baseball Express into the stretch and tracking adeptly second over was Walter Ross Jr. with PC Moonshine. Bred by Peter Clements of Dobbinton, ON, PC Moonshine was shown clear track out widest in the final eighth to catch Baseball Express and stop the clock in 1:55.4 to further improve upon the 1:56.1 life's mark he'd earned in South Florida on April 3. Tom Cango held third with last week's top class winner, McCoy, in rein to Wally Hennessey, a close-up fourth in between horses after a pocket trip.
Gaston Claude of Pompano Beach is the owner and trainer of PC Moonshine. It was his 18th career win and propelled his career earnings to more than $104,000.
Late Closer Series Finals Galore
The Friday and Saturday programs coming up in South Florida each have a pair of championship finals for the newly implemented late closing series.
Of particular interest on Saturday night is the $14,000 purse final of The Springboard Series where trainer Geoff Howles sends three-year-old pacer Hurricane Howard into battle from Post 3.
"I'm 99% sure I know what caused him to make a break at the start last week," Howles says. "He did the same thing near the end of last year in the elimination for the Florida Breeders championship and I treated him for EPM. It's a tricky thing since you can never be completely sure of an accurate diagnosis or cure for it, but he was much better in that final last December 5th when he was third to Stiletto Jake. I thought he would've been past it from age two to three but my thought is now he has the same thing that was setting him back last fall."
At this stage you might tab Hurricane Howard as a replay watchers' special treat. In his Springboard Series second leg last week after the early break, he was so far back that he wasn't even in the picture until late in the stretch when he came into view and roared by all rivals except the race winner Pennthouse who benefitted from the second over trip. Howles shares ownership of the Mannart Howard-Extravagant Sahbra colt with Mary Gilbert of Pompano Beach.
"I trained him on Wednesday and he was acting really good," Howles says. "Our draw luck for Saturday night is good and [driver] Wally [Hennessey] came off the bike last week really happy with how he came back in the race. In the Series first leg he closed great for second after a mistake in that start too. Like all trainers I'm just hoping for a flat line and a clean trip," Howles adds.
Also on Saturday night, the $16,500 purse final of the The Favorites Series turns to the starting gate. Four-year-old pacer Hazel Eyes is in position to sweep the Series but has drawn Post 8 for trainer Brian Bellamy and driver Gaston Lareau.
On Friday evening the $15,000 purse Springboard Trotting Series final turns to the gate along with the $17,500 final of the Longshot Trotting Series.
A total of six programs over the next three weekends will conclude the 2009-2010 season at The Winter Capital Of Harness Racing.
(Pompano Park)