Tough Cassidy hands Time To Scoot first loss

Tough Cassidy ($5.20) looked unbeaten race favorite Time To Scoot in the eye and blew on by to win the $17,400 final of the 16th annual Gator Pacing Series for Florida-sired two-year-old pacing colts and geldings Saturday at Pompano Park Harness Track. Driven by Jay Sears, Tough Cassidy won by two and one-half lengths in a lifetime best 1:57.4 for the one mile race.

He (Tough Cassidy) is as game as he can be.” Sears said after the victory. “When I pulled him first-over in the backstretch he was full of pace and just want to go on by.”

The 3rd race feature began with the 3/5 favorite, Time To Scoot and driver Wally Hennessey shooting to the lead from post five with Tough Chip (Robert Roberts) settling into the pocket-trip as they passed the opening quarter mile over a sloppy track in :29.2.

As the field past the half mile marker in 1:00.2, Jay Sears started his first-over move with Tough Cassidy and started to gain ground on Time To Scoot at the three-quarter mile pole in 1:29.3.

Tough Cassidy was then able to collar Time To Scoot as they started down the stretch and pulled away at the finish with Tough Chip second and Time To Scoot fading to third.

It was the second win in three lifetime starts for Tough Cassidy, a brown gelding by Tough Sir from the Albert Albert mare, Small Change. Tough Cassidy is bred and owned by Jay and Kim Sears of Osleen and is trained by Kim Sears. It was the first time that Jay Sears has ever driven the winner of the Gator Series Final.

Wally Hennessey more than made up for the loss in the Gator Series Final as he ended the evening leading all drivers with five winners on the program, including the $12,000 Open Pace with Armbro Dynamic in 1:52.4. (Pompano)

« Back