Godiva Seelster and Prairie Fortune took top harness racing honors in their respective Open events on Wednesday night (December 7) at Pompano Park.
First, the grand mare, Godiva Seelster, handled by Hall of Fame driver Wally Hennessey, scored in Pompano Park's $11,000 Open Handicap Pace for mares, stopping the timer in a seasonal best 1:51.2.
The six year-old daughter of Camluck, trained by Dan Hennessey for Paul and Patricia O'Neill, took command prior to the :27.3 opener and carded panels of :56 and 1:24.2 before a :27 finale sealed the issue by 1¼ lengths over All Charged Up (John Mac Donald). Jets Are On (Kevin Wallis) finished third while Memumsnotnice was fourth. Sandysgoldenhour picked up the nickel in the field scratch down to five.
After the event, Hennessey heaped all the praise on "Lady Godiva" saying, "she's just a 'one in a million' mare.
"She's just as nice as she can be in the barn and handles her tasks on the track in a professional manner. When she doesn't win, it's not because she's not trying, it's because another one just out-brushes her. A couple of weeks ago, she paced a final quarter in :26.4.
"It just so happened that another good mare paced in :26.3. See what I mean? She tries every step of the mile! She's just amazing."
Godiva Seelster won for the 12th time this year and sent her seasonal earnings to $110,558. She's banked $330,275 lifetime on the strength of a 37-29-18 scorecard in 108 career starts and has missed only one check in her past 99 starts covering her last four seasons.
As the 1 to 2 favorite, Godiva Seelster paid $3.00 to win.
In the $12,000 trotting feature, Prairie Fortune, the outstanding Florida bred, handled by John Mac Donald, overcame the outside post (8) to score a handy victory measuring 2½ lengths in 1:54.4.
The late charging Explosive Muscles (Dave Ingraham) finished second while Undercover Bro (Wally Hennessey) finished third after a two move mile that left him in the lead turning for home.
Pocket Trip, saving ground all the way around, finished fourth while Commentary finished fifth after a first over backside bid.
At the outset, Undercover Bro and Tater Twister traded placed on the lead with the former at the opening marker in :27.2 and the latter in front halfway through in :56.1. At that juncture, Undercover Bro was out and driving for the lead again with Commentary on the attach with Prairie Fortune, last early on, grinding forward and following the live cover of Commentary.
Right at that third station, Prairie Fortune swept three wide and mowed down his competition with the greatest of ease.
In a post-race interview, Mac Donald said, "this horse can grind all day long. Even though we started from the outside, once we caught that live cover, he was kind of begging to go three wide. I fought him for a short time and then let him have his way and he responded with his usual great brushing power."
Prairie Fortune, a four year-old son of Arapa Victory, won for the 11th time in 26 starts this year to send his seasonal earnings to $84,665. He's banked $197,945 for Laurie Poulin, who co-owns with trainer Mike Deters.
It was the 26th win in only 48 lifetime starts for the winner and proved to be the 999th career training victory for trainer Deters.
Even money on the tote-board, Prairie Fortune paid $4.20 to his multitude of followers.
In the ever-popular "Over-The-Hill Gang" trot for the senior citizens of our equine breed, M T Ur Pockets, driven by Mike Simons, swept up on the far outside around the final turn and then went on to score a two length victory over the late charging Adenium (Wally Hennessey) in 1:55.2, a seasonal best time for the nine year-old daughter of Hard Rock N Roll.
Pop My Buttons (Brad Kramer) cut lively panels of :27.3, :56.4 and 1:25.3 and wound up third, 2¼ lengths away, while Cashahallic finished fourth after a first up bid that brought him within a length of the leader turning for home. R G Rocket earned the minor award in the octet.
Owned by Albert Abdala III along with trainer-driver Simons, M T Ur Pockets won for the seventh time this semester in 34 starts, sending her seasonal bounty to $47,993 and $228,355 lifetime.
As third choice on the tote-board at 5 to 1, M T Ur Pockets returned $12.00 to win.
Racing continues on Saturday night with the British-American Series on tap in a three race competition.
Post time is set for 7:20 p.m.
by John Berry for Pompano Park