Diamond Dagger and Katch Kanna took top honors in their respective co-featured $11,000 trotting events on Wednesday night (January 17) at Pompano Park.
Diamond Dagger, a courageous six-year-old daughter of ABC Garland, trotted her mile – and 25 yards – in 1:56.3 in the Open featuring the mares after having overcome the outside Post 9 and a journey that never allowed her to see the inside part of the five-eighths mile racing oval.
Driver Peter Wrenn was in the bike for the photo-finish win which measured a scant nose over Vicki All, driven by J D Yoder. JS Foxy Lady, who closed fastest of all for Ricky Macomber Jr., finished third, while Shes All In, who was prominent from the get-go, finished fourth. Modern Mercury finished fifth in the nine-horse field.
At the outset, Shes All In (driven by Rick Plano), took command at the opening bell. Vicki All was also on the prowl and assumed command at the opening station in :28. A TC Queenie was next, but on the outside looking in with Diamond Dagger following her dull cover.
After Vicki All reached the halfway marker in :57.1, Diamond Dagger found herself backed up a bit and forced to go on a ‘double-bubble binge’ with three-eighths remaining. She reached second around the final bend and just a length back of Vicki All.
Turning for home, Vicki All and Diamond Dagger fought tooth and nail and traded punches right through the wire. The photo finish camera was put to the test to decide the winner.
After the race, driver Peter Wrenn had high praise for Diamond Dagger, as he related, "Wow! What a trip she went. I kind of half left out of there looking for a spot somewhere closer up but there was nothing there so I had to be content to follow whatever cover I could find.
"My mare doesn't mind the outside air and she can swallow a lot of oxygen. When the cover stalled on the backside, I had to send her wide and she responded with her usual gritty performance. Both mares were great tonight and I was lucky that mine was a nose better, that's all. Now that I think of it, her performance was even better since she hadn't raced in a couple of weeks."
Owned by Paul Johnson along with Melvin Schmucker and trainer Mark O'Mara, ‘Diamond’ won for the 27th time during her career which measures 112 starts. She's now banked $239,682 to go along with her Pompano Park mark of 1:53.2 set last year.
Off as the lukewarm favourite, Diamond Dagger, who was 5-2 in the morning line, went postward at 3-1 and paid $8.20 to win.
Roughly 18 minutes after the ‘official’ sign was posted for that event, the boys were in the spotlight and Katch Kanna, smartly handled by Wally Hennessey, ‘K’aught his five rivals off guard with a 1:55.4 triumph, as he went gate-to-wire in the process. Sooo Handsome was a fast closing second for Rick Plano, and out-gunned the 1-5 favourite, Prairie Fortune (Jim Meittinis) for the place spot. Pocket Trip was fourth and Uncle Hanover completed the order in the five-horse field. Off at second choice at 5-1, Katch Kanna paid $13.40 to win.
Pompano racing will continue on Saturday night, as the Italian-American Friendship Challenge will be contested in three events with the finale set for Sunday night.
Saturday night's Super Hi-5 has a carryover of $94,372, a season high.
Post time is set for 7:20 p.m.
(With files from Pompano Park)