ELITE CONTENDERS LINE UP AT POMPANO

News Room 11:28 AM 21-Jan-2005 NZT

File Photo (New Image Media) (CLICK TO VIEW)

A total of 58 pacers and trotters have been nominated to Pompano Park Harness Track's two top stakes events.

The entries are headlined by the return of Luckyisasluckydoes, who swept the Isle of Capri Pacing Series last year, the $250,000 Isle of Capri Pacing Series and the $125,000 Mack Lobell Trotting Series.

Both events will be raced throughout the month of February.

The Isle of Capri Pacing Series features preliminary rounds for $50,000 on Saturday, February 12, Saturday, February 29 and the $160,000 added final on Saturday, February 26 with 33 horses nominated.

The Mack Lobell Trotting Series has its preliminary rounds for $25,000 on Friday, February 11 and Friday, February 18 with the $75,000 added final also on Saturday, February 26 with 25 entered in the series.

New for both series this year will be special preview events for those horses nominated.

They will be held on Saturday, February 5. Isle Pace nominees will race for $20,000 and Mack Lobell nominees will race for $15,000.

Last year, Luckyisasluckydoes, became the first horse ever to sweep the entire series.

He went on to win $398,000 in 2004 for trainer Mark Ford and owners John Foders, Clifford Siegal and Herbert Siegal of New York and seeks to become the first horse ever to win the Isle of Capri Series back to back.

The Isle Of Capri Series promises to be a wide open affair with some familiar faces and newcomers nominated to the event.

Trainer Mark Ford has also nominated newcomer Chewy Gross, a $122,000 winner last year who has won his first two starts in 2005, capturing the Open Pace at both Yonkers Raceway and Freehold Raceway.

Other standout performers include the The Globe and Village Hero N, owned by Let It Ride Stables, Image Of Dawn, owned by Pat Lachance and Maltese Artist, owned by Linad Toscano, a $204,000 winner last year.

Local stars nominated include Gale Moem's Blue Oxfords, a 17-time winner last year and Copeland Comet, who won 13 times in 2005.

Recent winners at Pompano Park are Glors Boys, He Wants It All, Hipeka A, No Parole A, Our Galvinator A and top performers Dee Magic Man and Ignite My Fire.

The nominees for the Mack Lobell Trotting Series reads like a world-class international trotting event with horses from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Germany and throughout the United States.

Chucaro Ahijuna heads the list as the double-gaited world champion ended 2004 with 14 wins in 19 starts for the Paul Bernardo Stable and set a track record.

He faces former double-gaited world champion True Story who won $111,000 last year.

Other standouts include Ultimate Sundance, a 15-race winner last year who was the fastest trotter of the year at Pompano Park, another track record holder, Damon Runyon, just missed tying his record of 1.54.2 by one-fifth of a second on Wednesday night.

Germany's Hero Pit, at age 13, comes overseas with $143,000 in earnings and Sundance Kid G won nine times last year in his first season racing in America while Australia's Mighty Maori A is a $103,000 career winner and won two starts back at Pompano Park in a lifetime best 1.55.1.

Canadian-bred Hellava Hush won $144,000 last year and has the fasted record of anyone in the field at 1.52.4 last year, Hunt M Down earned $152,000 last season and multiple stakes winner Make It Hot was a $110,000 winner in 2004.

The final of the Isle of Capri Pace is the richest race of the year at Pompano Park.

The race is named after the parent company that owns Pompano Park, the Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., which owns 15 other riverboat and land based casino properties throughout the mid south, Colorado, Iowa and Grand Bahama Island.

On the night of the final, February 26, the first 4000 patrons to come to the track will receive a free Isle of Capri Pace baseball cap and there will be free vacation prize drawings, live Calypso music, food specialties, a live race horse with equipment seminars conducted by the Florida Amateur Driving Club, clowns, free face painting and free Miniature Horse cart rides for children.

Previous winners of the Isle Of Capri Pace are Luckyisasluckydoes (1.52.4) in 2004, Corporate Rrraider (1.51) in 2003, Mighty Khan N (1.51.3) in 2002, Sadies Dreamboat (1.52.2) in 2001, Bad Bert (1.53) in 2000 and Parson's Den (1.49.4) in 1999 which set the all age and stakes record at Pompano Park.

Previous winners of the Mack Lobell Trotting Series are Trapper Salute A (1.55.2) in 2004, Damon Runyon, who set the stakes record in 2003 at 1.54.4 and Spud Bar won the inaugural in 2002 in 1.57.1.

ISLE OF CAPRI PACE NOMINEES

Allstar Blue Jean

Artiology

Blue Oxfords

Bolero Taishi

Chewy Gross

Copeland Comet

Daylon Trooper

Dee Magic Man

Fox Valley Devious

Glors Boy

He Wants It All