Blessed Victory wins at Pompano

It was a “blessed victory” to those patrons who played him at the windows as Blessed Victory, a 23-1 long shot, upset the field in winning the $16,000 Open Trot Monday at the Isle Pompano Park. He paid $48.80 to win.

It was the 3/5 favorite, No Pain No Gain, the lone mare in the field against seven male rivals, who shot right to the early lead for trainer/driver Joe Pavia Jr. in the fifth race feature. Cutting the mile to the opening quarter mile in :27.1 and then catching soft fractions to the half mile marker in :57.3. But it was then that the action started to heat up.

Farmer Jones and driver Kevin Wallis came first-over at the half mile with Blessed Victory and driver Dan Clements following the outside flow. They pressed the leaders to the three-quarter mile pole in 1:26.3. Then by the top of the stretch, Farmer Jones had collared No Pain No Gain, who then began to tired and Clements tipped Blessed Victory to the outside and was able to nip Farmer Jones at the wire to win by a neck in 1:56. Slave Dream (David Ingraham) was third.

It was the fourth win in eight starts this year and a lifetime mark for Blessed Victory, a five-year-old gelding by Conway Hall, trained by Bill Gallagher and leased by Bill Gallagher Pompano Beach and Victoria Jackson-Carinda of Wellington.

In the very next race, Front Page Star ($2.80) and driver Anthony Napolitano posted their sixth straight victory, winning the $4,180 pace in a lifetime mark of 1:54.2. Front Page Star is now six for eight in 2009 in the win column and won on Monday by two and three-quarter lengths. He is trained by Paul Holzman and is owned by Mary Holzman of New Hudson, Michigan. (Pompano)

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