Top drivers provide Pompano upsets

It's an extremely rare occurrence when a track's top two drivers are involved in major upset, long-odds wins on the same program, but that's what happened at The Isle Pompano Park as Monday evening racing debuted on the schedule.

 

The common denominator for the upsets by the track's marquee reinsmen was the outside post, nine. Bruce Ranger, the South Florida track's all-time winningest driver was a front-end winner in the seventh race claiming trot with Kid Conway, at a stunning 23-1 for a $48.60 win mutuel. Stewart Nemiro trains the Conway Hall-Royal Sweep 6-year-old gelding for Fred Monteleone Stable of Pompano Beach, as he surpassed the $200,000 life earnings plateau with his 23rd career victory.

 

Wally Hennessey, again a solid second to Ranger in the drivers' colony this year, had an answer for that just two races later. He sat far off the pace with Spirit In My Pocket and then mowed down his claiming pace rivals in the final half to score at 10-1 for a $23 win mutuel, and top a whopping Superfecta of $21,931.80. Brian Hauck trains the class-dropping shipper that had been campaigning at Indiana Downs for Haucks Stables. (Pompano Park)