Mack Lobell Preview set

Recent Open Trot winners Tweedle Dum, Muscular and Battleshoe Victor headline a group of 10 trotters that has been assembled for the Friday-night feature from Pompano Park, the $15,000 Mack Lobell Preview, which will go as the fourth race on the card.

Tweedle Dum, a winner of 21 races at Pompano Park last year, has been installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite for the Mack Lobell Preview. In his first start of 2007, Tweedle Dum had a six-race winning streak halted when he was beaten a head by Muscular, who also returns for Friday’s feature. Trained by Gordon Norris, Tweedle Dum will start from post three with his regular driver Walter Ross Jr. at the controls.

In his most recent start, Muscular used a powerful late move to wear down Tweedle Dum to spring the Open Trot upset in 1:55.3, covering the final quarter mile in :28. A winner in two of three starts this year, Muscular will be driven from post 10 by Dave Mercer, who also owns and trains the 7-year-old son of Muscles Yankee. Muscular finished fourth in last year’s Mack Lobell Preview, using the race as a precursor to victory in the first-leg of the series.

Battleshoe Victor, who won the Open Trot on Jan. 15, exits a third-place performance where he finished behind Muscular and Tweedle Dum. The Tom Harmer trainee was an eight-time winner in 2006, including a victory in the $48,500 Eddy Oakley final at Hawthorne where he trotted the mile 1:53.3, his lifetime best. The Illinois-bred son of Valley Victor will start from post two on Friday and will be driven by Brett Miller.

Meadowlands invader Party Lad starts from post four in the Friday feature for trainer William Popfinger. The 5-year-old son of Party Party is winless in two starts this year and was most recently seventh in a non-winners race at the Meadowlands on Jan. 26. Party Lad made his last trip to the winner’s circle on Nov. 30 at Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack, where he prevailed in a division of the Richie Prospect in a lifetime-best 1:55.4.

The German-bred trotter Bossi Corner is the career earnings leader in the Mack Lobell Preview with $396,893 in the bank. The son of Bosphorous competed exclusively in Europe during his first four years of racing, amassing $382,618 during his overseas campaigns. Since switching continents in 2006, Bossi Corner has visited the winner’s circle just once, taking a non-winners race at the Meadowlands on Aug. 11. The 8 year old hasn’t started since a Sept. 14 race at Mohawk, but he won his qualifying heat at Pompano on Jan. 19, covering the mile in 1:58.4.

The Mack Lobell Preview is the first race in the $125,000 Mack Lobell Trotting Series, which continues with the $25,000 first leg on Feb. 9, the $25,000 second leg on Feb. 16, and will culminate with the $75,000 added final on Feb. 24. (Pompano Park)

« Back