Pompano opens with Sire Stakes action

Alice Springs used the opening night of Pompano Park’s 44th meet to once again assert her supremacy over the South Florida juvenile filly pacing division, capturing her $5,380 leg of the Sunshine State Stakes, with an effortless romp in 2:01.

Guided from post position seven by Hall of Fame driver Wally Hennessey, the daughter of the first-crop sire N Aboriginal wasted little time taking control of the race, cruising her way to the front through an opening quarter-mile timed in :29.3.With the lead comfortably in her control, Alice Springs paced confidently through middle fractions that were clocked in 1:01.4 and 1:32.3 before coasting unchallenged through a final quarter-mile timed in :28.2, to prevail by 3-½ lengths over Howard’s Baby (Bruce Ranger). Jaguar’s Abbie (Anthony Napolitano) crossed the wire third.

Owned by Ciara Stable and Michael Polansky and trained by Tom Harmer, Alice Springs is undefeated in six career starts with earnings of more than $38,000 and a lifetime mark of 1:56.2, tallied in the second leg of the Sunshine State Stakes on July 27.

A total of nine Sunshine State Stakes were contested on the opening night program at Pompano Park, with the 2-year-old filly trotters Strut (2:05.3) and Discreet Encounter (2:04.4), the 2-year-old, gelded trotter Southern Rain (2:04.1), 3-year-old filly trotters Crown Candle (2:03.1) and Southern Beauty (2:00.4), the 3-year-old, gelded trotter Blake Island (2:00.4), and the 3-year-old filly pacers Sunshine Cindy (1:58.1) and Lucy Lucy (1:56) also visiting the winner’s circle.

Pompano Park will host five fourth leg divisions of the Sunshine State Stakes on Saturday, with post time slated at 7:25 p.m. (EDT), with a lone non-wagering race scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Prairie Tracker tops Open pace

Edward James’ 4-year-old mare Prairie Tracker ($8.60) notched her fifth victory of the year when prevailing in the $14,000 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap pace at Pompano on Friday.

Driven by Andy Santeramo for trainer Jim McDonald, Prairie Tracker settled in third place while pursuing the pacesetter, Velvet Eileen, through a three-quarters split timed in 1:24.4, before angling out and rolling past that rival in the stretch to score by one-half length in a season’s best 1:53.2.

The triumph by Prairie Tracker marked the 1,199th trip to the winner’s circle for Santeramo, who would close the evening with career victory 1,200 after guiding Cash Is Terrific ($3.60) to a 1:57.3 win in the night’s final race. (Pompano)

« Back