Pompano Beach, FL…March 16…The “stars” were shining brightly at Pompano Park on Monday as harness racing driver David Miller led a parade of driving stars in the 10,000 win club with six wins on the card and Wally Hennessey and Peter Wrenn winning three of the four other races giving this prestigious club members wins in nine of the 10 races–the only other win recorded by Dein Spriggs in the Florida Amateur Driving Club event.
Miller, who now has 13,242 wins benefitting owners to the tune of over $250,000,000, scored with Saulsbrook Deputy ($9.20), Beyond The View ($3.80), B Like Cruiser ($2.40), Pauly Wally ($11.60), Gemalous ($5.80) and Seeing Eye Single ($4.00)–the latter in the $10,000 featured Open II Pace.
In that event, the six year-old gelded son of Dragon Again, trained by David’s daughter, Devan, for owner Sylvia Burke, stopped the timer in 1:51.2, just getting up in the final stride to edge by the pacesetting Alluneedisfaith N (Mike Simons) with La Rockin Sampson (Ken Holliday) third, a lip ahead of Stone Hanover with Let’s Roll. closing fastest of all, picking up the final award in the classy septet.
Indeed, it was Alluneedisfaith racking up fractions of :26.3 and :55.3 with a :27 third panel a necessity to hold off the threat of Stone Hanover around the final bend. Meanwhile, La Rockin Sampson, in the garden spot throughout moved on through as these three were joined at the 16th pole by Seeing Eye Single, whose late surge proved best in the photo.
The win was the third this semester for Seeing Eye Single–22nd lifetime–to send his career bounty to $466,542.
Said Miller in a post race interview, “I was out following cover around the second turn but it’s tough to do much damage on the backside when they’re going at what turned out to be a :27 clip. But this horse is always in the hunt and responded like he does so often, especially when they turn for home.”
Hennessey, with 10,745 wins, kicked off the festivities with American Arrow ($17.40) and followed with Record Machine ($3.20) scoring in the first leg of the Pick-3.
Wrenn, who has 10,337 successes, scored in the $9,000 Open III with his newly acquired Maxdaddy Blue Chip ($6.60) in the night’s fastest mile–1:51.1–wiring his foes off panels of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:24, sealing the issue with a :27.1 closer over Real Peace (David Miller) and Funknwaffles (Tom Jackson).
The lone other race for the FADC went to Spriggs with Tech Titan. who catch-drove this eight year-old altered son of Muscle Hill to an upset win paying $19.40.
Racing continues on Tuesday with a guaranteed $20,000 Pick-4 pool highlighted by an industry low 12% takeout and aSuper Hi-5 finale which now sports a ballooning jackpot of $70,618.
Post time is set for 7:20 p.m.
For full race results, click here.
by John Berry, for Pompano Park