License snafu grounds Jet

Trainer Tom Harmer and Pompano Park director of operations Steve Wolf confirmed Monday morning that a licensing snafu forced the scratch of Jereme’s Jet out of the $10,000 Open Pace Saturday night by the Pompano stewards.

Harmer told harnessracing.com that Jereme’s Jet’s Illinois-based owner, Jolene Leahy, had expected to receive a temporary Florida license to race Saturday, but because a prior temporary had been issued it was ruled she was ineligible to receive another.

“We had him ready for that race Saturday night as a prep for the Levy, but Jolene…the previous Friday called the license office to figure out the easiest way to get a license,” said Harmer. “They told her to enter him and take out a temporary and send an application for the fingerprints. I enter the horse and go in to get the temporary Saturday, and they said she couldn’t get one because she had one that expired.”

Harmer said he believes the confusion came when he sold a Leahy-owned horse a year ago to a Florida-based trainer, but the papers weren’t properly transferred. When a temporary license was issued by that horse’s new owners, Leahy was still registered as owner.

Harmer had planned to make that one Saturday night start at Pompano before shipping the 2005 Two-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year to Yonkers Raceway for the opening round of the George Morton Levy series that begins Saturday, March 31.

“Now I’ll train him up Wednesday and ship him out of here Thursday,” said Harmer. “He’ll be ready.”

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