Trainer Jim McDonald held the hot hand at Pompano Park on Wednesday night (June 17), sweeping both features en route to hitting the 'grand slam' with four winners on the program.
While Mach Me Not and Dominum Deo won their respective $9,500 pacing and trotting Winner's Over events, it was Mc Donald, himself, getting the festivities underway by piloting Pacing Pretty Stables' four year-old Looney ($3.00) to a come from behind win in a lifetime-best 1:58.2.
Two races later, the nine-year-old Mach Three mare Mach Me Not, trained by Mc Donald for the S S G Stables and driven by Bruce Ranger, nailed her stablemate, Artful Impulse (Andy Santeramo), in the last two strides to score a narrow win -- measuring a half-length -- in 1:53.1. It was her second win in a row and 34th lifetime in 201 starts.
Surging to the lead early before yielding to her stablemate, Mach Me Not, though drifting wide in the lane, managed to get up in the late stages on the strength of a :27.2 finale. Goldstar Rockette (Mickey Mc Nichol) finished third in the mile while Real Nice Girl and Lady Ideal completed the quintet of talented mares.
In a post race interview, Ranger said, "She left like a rocket-ship but then Andy [Santeramo] took his mare [Artful Impulse] and put her on the lead so I did get a good trip back of her. When I pulled turning for home, I guess I must've pulled on the right line a little too hard because she was drifting out pretty good in the lane. But it all worked out at the wire."
Mach Me Not paid $2.40 for her popular win.
The very next event, Santeramo got a bit of revenge on Ranger when he guided The Muscler, also trained by Jim Mc Donald for lessee Carl Mc Donald, to a nose victory in 1:57.1, edging out Gray N Cloudy (Ranger) in the very last stride. The Muscler won for the fifth time this semester, good for a seasonal bankroll of $19,250. He paid $7.20 to win.
Mc Donald achieved his "grand slam" the very next race when Ranger guided Dominum Deo to a photo finish win over Illusionsndreams (Santeramo) in a lifetime-best 1:54.4 -- that win coming in the Winner's Over feature for trotters.
This four-year-old son of Donato Hanover, last halfway through the mile, found some room turning for home and mowed down the competition with a :56 final half complimented by a :28.2 finale. Gold Savage (McNichol), prominent all the way, finished third while Tug River Dylan and My Revenuer completed the first five in the sextet.
Dominum Deo, now with four wins for the year, sent his earnings to $20,845 for 2015 and $69,980 lifetime.
Dominum Deo, second choice on the board at 9-5, paid $5.60 to win.
Racing continues Saturday night with a 7:30 p.m. post time scheduled for the eight race program.
(Pompano Park)