Big rematch in Isle final

After splitting the first two rounds of the $250,000 Isle of Capri Pacing Series, Load The Dice and He Wants It All will add another chapter to their rivalry in the $157,500 final at Pompano Park Saturday. The race has attracted nine entrants.

Owned by Engel Stable LLC, Sheffield Stable, and D.R. Van Witzenburg, Load The Dice has been installed as the 4-5 morning line favorite for the marquee event of the Pompano Park season, and the richest harness race in Florida.

After finishing second to He Wants It All in the opening round of the Isle Series, Load The Dice returned to win the $50,000 second leg on Feb. 17 in 1:50.4, a clocking that was two-fifths of a second off the Pompano Park track record for older gelding pacers.

Load The Dice has been victorious in nine of his last 13 starts, and his seasonal earnings mark of $104,150 is currently best in the nation. Earlier this year, the 5-year-old son of Cam’s Card Shark won the second leg of the Presidential Series at the Meadowlands before finishing second in the $116,000 final.

Trained by Michile Lorenzo, Load The Dice will be driven from post five in the Isle Series final by Pompano Park’s leading driver, Bruce Ranger.

Michael Polansky’s He Wants It All will be making his fourth appearance in the Isle of Capri Pacing Series final and is seeking an unprecedented third straight victory in the race after taking the 2005 and 2006 editions.

The Tom Harmer trainee has prevailed in 13 of 25 starts at Pompano throughout his career, including a victory in the $50,000 first leg of the 2007 Isle Series on Feb. 10 when defeating Load The Dice by a head in 1:51.2.

Listed as the 6-5 second choice in the morning line, He Wants It All is coupled in the wagering with Star Role and will be driven from post seven by Wally Hennessey, who is seeking his first victory in the eight-year history of the Isle of Capri final.

Load The Dice and He Wants It All have met six times since last August, with Load The Dice visiting the winner’s circle in four of those encounters and He Wants It All prevailing just once.

Joining the top pair in the Isle of Capri Pacing Series final is Maltese Artist, who has finished third in both rounds of this year’s series. Owned by Sylvia Burke, John Howard, and James Koran, the 6-year-old son of Artiscape enters Saturday’s race as the top money earner in the field with $877,636 banked during his career.

In 2005, Maltese Artist used a second-place finish in the Isle of Capri Pacing Series final as a stepping stone to a breakthrough season where the gelding earned over $463,000, highlighted by victories in the $122,000 Four Leaf Clover final, the $200,000 Dan Patch Invitational, and the $125,000 Battle of Erie.

Maltese Artist will be driven from post six by Brett Miller for trainer Mickey Burke and is listed as the 5-1 third choice in the morning line.

JK Big Shot has drawn post three for the Isle Series final and will be driven by Anthony Napolitano for trainer Gary Lemaister.

Owned by Jean Picard, JK Big Shot defeated He Wants It All in the $20,000 Isle of Capri Preview on Feb. 3. The 4-year-old son of The Panderosa crossed the wire fifth in the opening round of the Isle Series before making a costly break at the start of leg two and finishing ninth.

The Isle of Capri Pacing Series final is scheduled as the seventh event on an 11-race program from Pompano on Saturday that includes the $77,800 Mack Lobell Trotting Series final and the $50,000 Red Bow Tie Invitational for Florida-bred pacers. (Pompano Park)

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