After lackluster sophomore seasons, a pair of four-year-olds racing at Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park have stepped up their games in 2012 and have dominated the $8500 Open Pace since last May. In fact, they have finished one-two in six of the last seven weekly features and between them have only missed hitting the win-place-show board once in their last 10 starts.
Saturday night it was Neptune Blue Chip's turn to visit the winner's circle with driver Bruce Ranger, besting rival Northern Companion and reinsman Rob Hoffman by one and a half lengths in 1:53. The gelded son of Allamerican Ideal has won every other start over his last nine starts for owners Twenty Four Carrot Racing and Cito Gentile and trainer Jim McDonald. Northern Companion, a gelded son of Cambest, has won three times and been second five times during the same stretch.
The weekly Florida Amateur Driving Club Trot was also contested Saturday with Tom Santeramo winning for the second consecutive time with Speedy Samadhi, an 11-year-old owned and trained by his father Andy Santeramo. After sitting a two-hole trip before cruising to victory in the lane last week, the younger Santeramo took the favoured winner right to the lead this week and took no prisoners, winning by over five lengths in 1:58.
A trio of Florida Sunshine Stakes were also presented. Goldstar Thumper (Walter Ross Jr.) won a $6,000 programmed division for two-year-old pacing colts in 1:59; while Hillybilly (Mickey McNichol) captured a $4,700 non-betting division in 1:58.1. Three-year-old state-bred pacing colts also raced before the card for a $4,650 purse with Keemosabe (Ranger) winning impressively in 1:54.2.
Racing resumes at Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park on Wednesday night with a 7:05 p.m. (EST) post time. The mid-week program will mark the return to south Florida for the winter of three well-known reinsmen: David Ingraham, Kevin Wallis and Fern Paquet Jr. A number of additional nationally acclaimed drivers will be filtering their way back to Florida throughout October and early November to participate at the "Winter Capital of Harness Racing."
(Pompano Park)