Some may not have noticed, but Hall of Fame driver Steve Condren has been away from the Woodbine Entertainment Group circuit as of late. The veteran reinsman will be in action stateside on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Condren last raced at Woodbine Racetrack on November 5, but he has since steered horses at Pompano Park in Florida. He raced a horse over the south Florida oval on November 16, and also drove a few horses at the track earlier this week (on Sunday and Monday).
Condren is down to drive a total of nine horses over the next three cards of racing at Pompano (Saturday, Sunday and Monday). He will drive one horse for trainer Marty Fine on both the Saturday and Sunday cards, but will steer seven horses on Pompano’s Monday program.
Many Condren fans will surely tune into Pompano’s Monday card, but the raceway will be presenting quite the card of racing on Sunday, when the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association presents its annual Super Night, which will feature eight Florida Breeders Stakes finals for two and three-year-olds worth a total of $435,850.
The $53,800 two-year-old filly trot – which will be a non-wagering contest before the card – will feature Gold Star Briana, who will attempt to keep her lifetime record unblemished by recording her seventh win. Wally Hennessey will drive for trainer Dan Hennessey.
The $53,300 division for juvenile trotting colts and geldings will feature Rexamillion, who will be heading into action after having swept the Sunshine State Stakes, Stallion Stake and Aylor Memorial. This, too, will be a non-wagering event. Bob Roberts is expected to be in the bike for trainer Kim Sears.
On the pari-mutuel program, the $53,600 Breeders Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings will pit Gleneagles and Conmans Dream against each other. Gleneagles has had the upper hand in their last four outings, however, Conmans Dream has been gnawing away at Gleneagles, just a neck back in his last encounter. Wally Hennessey will drive Gleneagles while Conmans Dream will be handled by Jason MacDougall.
The $56,100 event for trotting colts and geldings will feature the outstanding Prairie Fortune, who has swept through the competition unscathed and unthreatened in five Pompano fall starts. Trainer Mike Deters will drive looking to do the next-to-impossible feat of improving on his already .895 UDR covering 17 starts.
Deters will return to the bike in the very next race and will guide the unbeaten Prairie Sweetheart in the $54,600 Breeders final for the two-year-old pacing fillies. Prairie Sweetheart is six-for-six with a track-record tying 1:53.3 performance in her last start. Her main opponent appears to be the Bob Barker trained Caitlins Romance, who has chased the ‘Sweetheart’ home in her past five starts (For more on the filly, including comments from Deters, click here).
The Deters-trained Livy M, who is also unbeaten in five Pompano stakes starts, is scheduled to race in the $54,700 event for sophomore trotting fillies. Livy M has a string of open-length wins for Wally Hennessey, who is expected to be driving the filly.
The three-year-old event (worth $54,200) for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings will feature a field of six, including three ‘break-away’ sophomores – Owosso Flash, Caesars Forum and Drake. While Owosso Flash and Caesars Forum have put on some of the most exciting duels in recent memory, it was Drake who picked up the pieces to break his maiden with a 1:54.1 winning effort in his last start – the Stallion Stake – after Owosso Flash and Caesars Forum got into a middle half war (:54.2) thus leaving the door open for the upset. Owosso Flash will be driven by trainer Deters, while Caesars Forum will have Wally Hennessey in the bike. Drake will have the driving services of veteran Bob Roberts.
The $55,550 Breeders Stake for three-year-old fillies will cap the FSBOA Super Night festivities with Gold Star Dynasty – also trained by Mike Deters – looking to put the finishing touches by completing the fall sweep of stakes events. Aaron Byron is expected to handle the lines.
First-race post time for Pompano’s Super Night Sunday is 7:30 p.m.
(With files from Pompano)