Gate-to-wire winners were a very rare sight on the Wednesday evening program at The Isle Pompano Park due to the cold temperatures plunging to record threatening lows of just above the freezing mark. One exception to the strong bias for closers on the 10-race card was Ashcroft.
Seventy-three-year-old owner Celine Harvey of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., took over training duties on the Earl-Defiant Carla 8-year-old gelding after shipping to Florida from Pocono Downs in December. Ashcroft was reunited with driver Kevin Sizer and the result was a confident score in 1:57 on a rare night at The Isle Pompano Park when the temperature plunged into the lower 40s.
Sizer had driven the career winner of over $185,000 at Pocono as recently as October before the easy romp over a $4,500 purse conditioned group. A pair of 29-1 longshots, Wesleys Fortune with David Ingraham and Duke Of Stormont with Walt Ross Jr. up followed Ashcroft under the wire.
The most impressive hard-closing winner on the program was First Of Fun in the finale. Owner-trainer Dustin Ingraham stepped out of the bike in favor of his driving dad, David, in the $4,000 claiming pace. The elder Ingraham, who marked the occasion of his 6,000th lifetime winning drive late in 2009, adeptly sat last in the early stages and then swept by all eight rivals. Dreamy, with Matt Kakaley up, and Art Mania with Gaston Lareau followed next under the wire. (Pompano Park)
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