Pompano Park hosted the FSBOA Super Night $430,000 Breeders Stakes for Florida-bred two and three-year-olds on Sunday night (November 27).
Here is a recap of the stakes events:
$50,750 Breeders Stakes Final for Two-Year-Old Trotting Colts and Geldings
With the only two entrants in this non-wagering event renewing their rivalry with the Florida championship on the line, it was Im Done, driven by John Mac Donald, who whipped his arch-rival Azzaro (Wally Hennessey), with a gate-to-wire win in 1:58.4, a new lifetime mark.
With each of these finalists coming into the action with identical 4-4-0 scorecards in eight starts, it was Im Done electing to leave from his outside post (2) and, after a very brief tussle with Azzaro, secured the lead, opening up a three-length advantage past the :29.3 opener.
Azzaro didn't really dent the leader’s margin through subsequent panels of :59.4 and 1:30 and then was left 5-1/4 back at the wire as Im Done came home in :28.4 to soundly secure the win -- and the championship.
In a post-race interview, Mac Donald had nothing but praise for the winner saying, “he’s just a solid-gaited youngster that gets better and better every start.”
Trained by Jim McDonald for owner Troy Basista, Im Done, a gelded son of Toro Bravo, now shows earnings of $70,265 in his nine starts.
$53,250 Breeders Stakes Final for Two-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
In this second of two non-wagering events, Atlantic Crest, superbly handled by owner-trainer Sergio Corona, took top honours, annihilating her four opponents in an eased up 1:58 -- her winning margin measured at 16-3/4 lengths over Prairie Pixie (Mike Deters) with Bonnie Blue Banker finishing third, but placed back one notch to fourth after interfering with Famous C, who was moved up that notch to third. Miss Olivia Irene, rough-gaited the entire mile, earned the nickel.
As the Hummer Starting Gate left the station, Atlantic Crest was away cautiously before securing the lead around the initial turn.
By the opening station in :28.4, this daughter of Crest widened her margin through the straightaway the first time, opening up what turned out to be an insurmountable lead past the half in :56.4 with Bonnie Blue Banker (Rob Hoffman) second and Famous C (Wally Hennessey) next but on the move before being bothered midway up the backside.
Past the three-quarters in 1:27, Atlantic Crest looked home free with a double-digit lead and coasted to the wire, widening that lead with every stride.
After the race, the subdued Corona was all smiles as he simply stated that he was “very happy!”
With the victory, her fifth in eight lifetime starts, Atlantic Crest more than doubled her earnings, which now stand at $51,724.
$54,100 Breeders Stake Final for Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies
Gold Star Aurora, driven by Wally Ross, Jr. and off at 1 to 10 to begin the pari-mutuel program, dug in late to hold off the late-surging Tay Tay M (Wally Hennessey) in a lifetime best performance, stopping the timer in 1:55.4.
Prairie Cowgirl (John MacDonald), in the garden spot throughout much of the mile, finished third with PF Silver Classic next. Golden Diamond picked up the minors in the quintet.
In a mad scramble leaving the gate, Gold Star Aurora seemed intent on grabbing the racetrack, securing the top spot around the first turn and carded an opening quarter in :28.
With no challenges developing, Ross rated his filly through subsequent panels of :57.4 and 1:27.2 and then was on a :28.2 sprint home, but still in danger late as Tay Tay M was on a :27.4 sprint of her own to miss by a neck.
In winning for the seventh time in eight tries, driver Ross said, "I’m just thankful to be driving a filly as nice as this one. Maggie Audley has done a great job in taking over the stable due to Tom’s (trainer Audley) passing. She’s just done remarkable. I am so happy for her and her mom, Marianne, who owns her."
With the win, Gold Star Aurora, a daughter of Rock On, sent her bounty to $60,702 -- $55,287 over the past four weeks. She paid $2.20 to her multitude of backers.
$55,400 Breeders Stake for Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies
Last year’s Breeders Stakes champion, Prairie Sweetheart, came back to defend her crown and had no problem doing so, scoring a nine length win for Matt Kakaley in 1:52.3.
This outstanding daughter Royal Millennium not only defended her crown, but remained undefeated during her career — now 14-for-14.
Leading every stride of her journey, Prairie Sweetheart pinned the lengthy defeat on Gold Star Mysti (Walter Ross, Jr.) with Diamond Lily (Wally Hennessey) third, some dozen lengths away.
Yule Love It was fourth in her sextet of fillies with Gold Star Lovebug picking up the nickel.
Now owned by the Let It Ride Stables, Prairie Sweetheart had a bit more than two lengths on the field after an opener of :28.4, widened it to four halfway through in :56.4 and then stretched it to eight lengths around the final turn before that :27.3 burst home sealed the deal.
Driver Kakaley succinctly summed it up when he simply said, “She’s just a great filly. That’s about all there is to it!”
Off at a nickel-to-a-dollar, Prairie Sweetheart paid $2.10 to win.
$54,270 Breeders Stake for Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts and Geldings
Prairie Panther, the brilliant altered son of Royal Millennium, remained undefeated since his Pompano Park arrival in early October, scoring his seventh straight win — this one in 1:56.2 for driver Mike Deters.
Off at 1 to 10, Prairie Panther scored by 1-1/4 lengths over a game Gold Star Bugsy (Wally Hennessey), who had his sights on the winner’s circle at mid-stretch but was out-brushed in the final stages.
Maybe Ned (Bryce Fenn) paced the fastest final panel of all in this event -- :27.4 -- and finished third, 1-3/4 lengths back. Moon Doggie was fourth while Gold Star Spider picked up the final cheque in the quintet.
Prairie Panther logged well rated panels of :28.3, :58.4 and 1:28.2 before Deters sent his change homeward bound and on to a :28 finale.
Owned by Laurie Poulin along with trainer Mike Deters, Prairie Panther now has earnings of $61,690 prompting co-owner Poulin to say, “we had a Jaguar and now a Panther. Maybe they’ll have company with a ‘Cougar’ next season.”
Prairie Panther paid $2.10 to win.
$54,150 Florida Breeders Stake for Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
Gold Star Briana, attempting to keep her career record unblemished, did so — but not without some anxious moments in the early stages of her journey.
Extending her undefeated skein to 16, the daughter of Basil eventually hit the wire in 1:57.1 for Wally Hennessey. She was 16-3/4 lengths better than All Star Fame (Kevin Wallis).
Im For Sale Finished third but was disqualified for a pylon violation and placed fifth, allowing Trotting Missmissy (Donald Dupont) to move up a notch, as well as Trottime Fool, who was moved up to fourth.
At the outset, Trotting Missmissy showed her usual gait speed off the gate to take command early and guide the field down to an opening quarter in :29.1.
At this point, Gold Star Briana was on the prowl but taking the turn very wide while appearing to be a bit rough-gaited.
Once on top, though, Briana sped through a second quarter in :28.1 to reach the half in :57.2 while enjoying a 1-1/2 length lead over Trotting Missmissy.
On the backside, Gold Star Briana began to prove her superiority by opening up a six-length lead past the third station in 1:26.4. From there, she just coasted home to her ever-so-easy score.
After the race, Hennessey asked, “anybody got a blood pressure tablet on them? She gave me a few palpitations early but, once she settled down, she was sharp, as usual. I’ll tell ya, those fillies can act up sometimes. I had my hands full early, that’s for sure.”
Gold Star Briana now sports a lifetime bankroll of $123,063 for owner Kevin Kelly -- $61,525 this semester. The Dan Hennessey trainee paid $2.10 to win.
$56,650 Florida Breeders Stake for Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts and Geldings
Last year’s two-year-old champion, Rexamillion, successfully defended his crown with a sharp win against his sophomore classmates, easily handling his seven foes with a 1:59.4 score for Wally Hennessey.
The gelded son of Proud Bushy, owned by Richard Dunmire along with Jay Sears and trainer-wife Kim, was four lengths up on Thundercrest (Dustin Ingraham) with Savin Rock (John Campagnuolo) third. Fifty Fifty Ninety recovered from a backside miscue to finish fourth while Proud Joe T picked up the nickel.
As usual, Hennessey guided Rexamillion away carefully and, once away in good order, engaged Last Chance Fame in a battle for supremacy early, taking command around the opening turn and then clocked an opening panel of :29.4 with Last Chance Fame going off-stride and Savin Rock taking up the chase.
Rexamillion’s lead was two lengths half way through the mile, clocked in 1:00.4, with that lead stretching to five through a third panel of :29.1. After reporting to that third station in 1;30, Rexamillion closed the door on his opponents with a :29.4 finale with the late charging Thundercrest closing quickest of all, but no threat to Rexamillion.
In a post-race interview, Hennessey said, “this horse was a bit slow in returning to his two year-old form but he really came around the last month or so. He drifted out in the lane but he was just doing things his own way.”
The victory sent Rexamillion’s scorecard for the year to 3-4-0 in nine starts, pushing his seasonal bankroll to $53,066. He’s banked $111,547 lifetime.
As the 1 to 10 favourite, Rexamillion returned $2.20 to win.
$55,100 Florida Breeders Stake for Three-Year-Old Pacing Colts and Geldings
R Chism used the exact same strategy he used one week ago in a “tune-up” for Sunday's race and went on to score a very sharp 1:53.3 win for Dave Ingraham, who was in the bike for owners Jay and Kim Sears.
Gleneagles (Wally Hennessey) was second, 1-3/4 lengths away, while Conmans Dream (Corey Braden) was third. Danza finished fourth while ICU Diamond T was fifth in the sextet of sophomore pacing colts and geldings.
R Chism, a gelded son of Six Of Diamonds left alertly before allowing Gleneagles (Wally Hennessey) to take command and post splits of :27.1, :56.1 and 1:24.2 with Conmans Dream third throughout the race.
In the lane, just as he did last week, R Chism waited patiently for a seam towards the pylons and, when he found it, took full advantage, darting on through for the easy score.
Ingraham said, “this was almost a carbon copy of the race last Monday. He really was good that night and he was very good tonight...very willing when asked.”
With the win, R Chism almost doubled his lifetime earnings coming in ($28,130) — the paycheque on this Super Night being $27,550.
As the slight 6 to 5 favourite, R Chism paid $4.40 to win, the longest price of all of the Super Night winners.
Finally, Panocchio, handled by Wally Hennessey, scored his fifth win in a row since his arrival, scoring in the $12,000 Open Handicap Pace.
The brave six-year-old son of No Pan Intended, looked for the lead early on from the eight post, couldn’t find it, found a cozy spot in third — for a short while — and then brushed up to take command past the opening quarter in :27.3 with a head-strong Here Comes William (Donald Dupont) second.
With a host of challengers trying to gang up on Panocchio the last half mile, he was just relentless in victory, scoring by a length over the late-charging No Bad Dreams (Dave Ingraham) with Rockntouch (Mickey McNichol) pacing the fastest final quarter in the field, third.
Here Comes William was fourth after being prominent all the way while Sing For Me George, begging for room in the lane, finished fifth in the octet of classy pacers.
Panocchio is now 11 for 23 in the win column this year for Emile Johnson, Jr., who co-owns with trainer Jim Mattison. His 2016 bounty now reads $99,161 and $389,928 lifetime.
As the 4 to 5 favourite, Panocchio paid $3.80 to win.
Though Super Night was laced with a majority of winning odds-on favourites, the evening closed out with one lucky patron winning $19,502.68 with a winning 20 cent ticket on the Super Hi-5.
Racing continues on Monday night with first post set at 7:20 p.m.
(with files from Pompano)