Pompano Park will feature a trio of lucrative carryover plus awards to the leading trainers as the South Florida oval closes out its 2018-2019 racing season with a blockbuster 13-race program on Saturday (May 4).
First post for the final card of the meet is 7:20 p.m. The grand Super Hi-5 Finale features a carryover of $127,976.45 with a field of 10 programmed to start in a wide-open affair.
Leading driver Wally Hennessey will handle the morning line favourite, Jimi Wind Ricks, listed at 8-5. The six-year-old gelded son of Rock N Roll Heaven will enjoy a steep drop in class as Hennessey tries to add to his record-breaking win total of 357 during the first 125 racing programs.
"It has been an unbelievable season," said Hennessey, "and I hope to put the finishing touches on it with a win in the finale. That would be the icing on the cake."
The Pick-4 has a carryover of $13,219 and change, is guaranteed at $30,000 and covers races six through nine. The track has also added a second Pick-4 beginning with race 10.
The Pick-6, beginning in race three, also sports a carryover of $3,153.
After the third race, Pompano Park will honour four trainers who won in their respective categories in the track's Incentive Program, rewarding those trainers that have competed from "start to finish" during the season.
Gaston Lareau, John MacDonald, Dan Hennessey and Jeff Schaefer took top honours in their respective divisions as the track and the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association co-sponsored the lucrative event with prizes totaling over $50,000.
Lareau had 59 wins during the meet, edging Jim McDonald (51) and Kim Sears (49) for top honours in the "12-plus" stable category.
MacDonald took top honours with 41 wins in the "6-11" category while Dan Hennessey was victorious in the "2-5" list.
"I am so proud of Dan," said Wally about brother Dan's win. "He fought near blindness all season long, showed up every day to take care of the stable and he did a miraculous job."
Dan Hennessey had a 31-17-12 scorecard while sending 109 horses behind the starting gate, good for a UTRS of .408.
Jeff Schaefer took top honours in the "one-horse-open sleigh" division.
Hall of Fame driver Wally Hennessey, as mentioned, was leading driver with 357 wins, far out-distancing Mike Simons (96) and Dave Ingraham (88) and was able to maintain a UDRS of over .500 in spite of driving over 900 races during the season.
Pari-mutuel racing resumes in early November with Florida bred stakes action beginning in October with non-wagering legs leading up to the lucrative Super Night.
(Pompano)