Sing sparrow, sing

The 7-year-old gelding S Sparrow Express continued his winning ways at Pompano Park on Wednesday, teaming up with Wally Hennessey to capture the featured $8,000 eighth-race trot to give the gelding his second consecutive victory and Hennessey his fifth winner of the night.

Starting from post three, S Sparrow Express settled along the pylons in third-place during the early stages of the Wednesday feature as Bumble B’s Sting (Mickey McNichol) took the field through an opening quarter mile in :29.1.

As the trotters marched by the grandstand for the first time, Hennessey sensed his opportunity to claim the top spot and angled S Sparrow Express to the outside to seize control of the race, taking the field through middle fractions clocked in :59.1 and 1:27.4.

S Sparrow Express entered the stretch with a 1 ½ -length advantage and was never seriously threatened down the lane, prevailing by that same margin over Fox Valley Mo Jo (Daryl Bier) while stopping the timer in a lifetime best 1:58.1 over a track listed as "sloppy."

S Sparrow Express returned $8.00, $3.40 for the victory. Fox Valley Mo Jo paid $8, $4 for second, while Giambi (Gaston Lareau) brought in $8.80 for third.

After beginning the year with 14 consecutive defeats, Wednesday’s victory by S Sparrow Express was his third trip to the winner’s circle in his last four starts. The change in fortune for the son of Elliotts Express has coincided directly with his move to the barn of owner-trainer Don Campbell in mid-May.

From just 11 starters at Pompano this year, the 43-year-old conditioner sports an impressive record of six victories, three second-place performances, and one third-place effort.

The victory by S Sparrow Express was the fifth of the evening for Hennessey. The Hall of Fame inductee prevailed in the opener with Legacy Franco N ($2.60), the third event with Leavembehind ($5.80), the fourth race of the evening with Carolina Curry ($15.80), and race seven with Scoot for the Loot ($4.60).

Hennessey will be inducted to the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, N.Y., on Sunday, July 1. (Pompano Park)

« Back