With partly cloudy skies over a fast track and with a temperature of 86 degreees (30 degrees Celsius), the 2009-2010 season commenced with an action-packed program on Saturday night at The Isle Pompano Park
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In the Florida Sunshine State Stakes, Isle Of View Too made it four straight wins to start her career. The Macadream-Mystic Millenium two-year-old miss dominated her third leg division of the State bred series to score in 1:58.3 with Bruce Ranger up for owners Ellen Ann Huxley-Laffer and co-owner trainer Tom Audley. On the colt side, Red Hot Howard was razor sharp in 1:55.3 for the third straight win to start his career. The Mannart Howard-Red Hot Summer gelding is trained by Michile Lorenzo for Georgia owner Scott Hargreaves. Bruce Ranger was in the drivers' seat.
The opening card also featured a $12,000 Open Pace. Object Of Art was sent first-over before the half by trainer/driver Ray Vizzi and after disposing of pacemaker Armbro Dynamic he was able to hold off a late charge by Change Your Luck and Richard Simard. Cape Karuna was third. Object Of Art, a Camluck-Artful Angel six-year-old gelding surpassed $350,000 in career earnings with the win for the New Jenneration Stable of Palm Beach Gardens.
The Open-2 Pace went to the gate for an $8,500 purse. C F O sat a pocket trip all the way and found enough room late in the stretch to collar the pacesetter Touch Of Steel in the closing strides. Jim McDonald trains the Life Sign-Flowing Yankee eight-year-old gelding for the Macadream Stable of Ottawa, Ont. Wally Hennessey was in the bike with C F O, although just one race prior McDonald was in the bike to pull a 9-1 upset with Nannys Angel in a mares conditioned test for Pacing Pretty Stable of Ft. Lauderdale.
The opening program of the 46th anniversary season at The Isle Pompano Park featured a driver's pre-race autograph session trackside, with Bruce Ranger, David Ingraham and Wally Hennessey also interviewed on the track's TV show to commence coverage of the new season. An elaborate fireworks display followed the 10-race card.
Next weekend, The Isle Pompano Park has live programs on Friday, September 25 and Saturday September 26 at 7:05 p.m. The schedule at the South Florida plant will step up to three programs per week in October and up to five cards per week by December.
(Pompano Park)