Hennessey stars on Fla. Super Night card

October 28, 2007

Hall of Famer Wally Hennessey visited the Pompano Park winner�s circle seven times on Saturday�s $576,057 Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association (FSBOA) Super Night program. Hennessey won four Florida Breeders Stakes, headlined by the 11th straight win for the unbeaten Alice Springs, who claimed the full share of a $100,000 bonus with her triumph.

Owned by Ciara Stable and Michael Polansky, and trained by Tom Harmer, Alice Springs was not content to settle in the pocket through the early stages of her stakes engagement as Hennessey sent the daughter of N Aboriginal to the front on the first turn, wrestling the early lead away from Allee T (Kevin Wallis) while showing the way through fractions of :29, 1:00, and 1:29.3.

The filly from the first crop of sire N Aboriginal entered the stretch with a one-length advantage over Howard�s Baby (Bruce Ranger), and effortlessly repelled that challenge to extend her lead to 1-1/2 lengths at the wire, stopping the timer in 1:58.

"She is a notch above the best, and has been all year,� Hennessey stated after his 11th successive winning drive behind Alice Springs.

Alice Springs paid $2.10 for the victory. Howard�s Baby and Allee T rounded out the top three. There was no place or show wagering available on the race.

�We�ll turn her out now and get her ready for next year," Harmer stated from the winner�s circle. �She�s had a pretty tough season so far, and anytime you can win 11 races in a row, even if they�re just qualifiers, it�s something special.�

With her victory in Saturday�s Florida Breeders Stakes final, Alice Springs became the lone recipient of a $100,000 bonus offered by the FSBOA and Pompano Park to any 2-year-old that sweeps all four of the Florida Sire Stakes finals. In addition, the filly is now two wins shy of the track record for consecutive victories set by the trotter You�re Next, who prevailed in the first 13 races of his career.

Hennessey returned to capture the richest event of the evening in the following race, taking the $82,500 Florida Breeders Stakes final for juvenile colt and gelding pacers with Mark Rorabeck�s Alligator Alley ($11.00).

The son of Raging Glory tracked race favorite Sody�s Moonshine (Kevin Wallis) from the pocket before angling off the pylons in midstretch and rolling past that rival to post an impressive three-length score in 1:54.3. Sody�s Moonshine held on for second, while Napoleon Dynahorse (Ranger) checked in third.

The victory was the fourth of the year for the Mike Deters trainee, who also paced the fastest mile by a juvenile at Pompano Park this season when taking a leg of the Sunshine State Stakes on September 22 in 1:54.

Rod Lorenzo and Souren Hovsepian�s Ace Mactavish ($7.20) tallied his second consecutive Super Night victory, while giving Hennessey his third stakes winner of the evening, when prevailing in the $66,171 Florida Breeders Stakes final for sophomore colt and gelding pacers in 1:54.4.

Starting from post nine, the Michile Lorenzo trainee cleared the field with ease and made every call a winning one en route to his seventh victory in nine outings this year. Scoot for Glory (Andy Santeramo) was second, while Spock (John Kakaley) checked in third.

In 2006, Ace Mactavish prevailed in the Florida Breeders Stakes final for juvenile colt and gelding pacers.

Ace Mactavish, a son of Tough Sir, has now visited the winner�s circle in 18 of 22 starts throughout his career.

Hennessey completed his Super Night grand slam with John Campagnuolo�s Blake Island ($5.20) in the evening�s $71,398 Florida Breeders Stakes final for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters.

Blake Island was content to track wagering favorite Bull Durham (Dan Clements) from the pocket through fractions of :29.2, :59.3, and 1:29.4, before angling off the pylons and edging past that rival in the shadow of the wire to score by a neck in 1:59. Bull Durham and Timer (Ranger) rounded out the top three.

Barbara Bailey�s Baileysirishdream ($3.40) remained unbeaten in three Sunshine State appearances while prevailing for the ninth time in 10 career starts when coasting to victory in the $66,771 Florida Breeders Stakes final for juvenile trotting fillies.

Driven from post nine by Bob Roberts, Baileysirishdream wasted little time powering her way to the front, claiming the top spot on the first turn and never looking back en route to a 5-1/2 length romp in 2:01.4. Discreet Encounter (Ranger) crossed the wire second, while Happy Bee (Tom Haughton) was third.

Mark Rorabeck�s Southern Rain ($2.20) once again asserted his supremacy over the 2-year-old Florida-bred colt and gelding trotting division when taking the $75,438 Florida Breeders Stakes final to tally his ninth victory from 11 lifetime starts.

Trained by Mike Deters, and driven to victory by Ranger, Southern Rain made the lead at the half-mile pole and was never seriously threatened en route to a four-length triumph in 2:02.3. Ruby�s Jewell (Mickey McNichol) crossed the wire second, while Pomet (Thomas Wantz) checked in third.

Ranger returned to take his second Florida Breeders Stakes event of the evening when guiding Jay and Kim Sears� Lucy Lucy ($2.60) through the wire first in the $74,163 pacing final for 3-year-old fillies.

The daughter of Tough Sir overtook the early pacesetter Leavembehind (Hennessey) at the half-mile pole, and proceeded to coast clear of that rival down the stretch to score by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:55. Leavembehind finished a clear second, while Flutterbutt (Wallis) was third.

Rodney Chadwic Davis II�s Little Wendy ($13.20) gutted out an extended first-over trip to prevail in the $64,651 Florida Breeders Stakes final for sophomore pacing fillies.

Driven by Anthony Napolitano, the daughter of Crown Can grinded away at pacesetter Sweet Mellisa (Wallis), overtaking that rival in mid-stretch before holding off a late charge by Crown Candle (Haughton) to notch her third victory in her last four starts. Prior to this recent string of success, the Robert Schell trainee had tasted defeat in each of her first 15 outings. (Pompano Park)

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