Pertty Music, owned, trained and driven by Ed Hensley, scored a repeat victory Monday night in Pompano Park's $10,000 Open Pace for mares.
The four-year-old daughter of Jeremes Jet matched her lifetime mark after covering the mile in 1:51.
Leaving from the outside post in this classy "million dollar" field, Pertty Music, once again, showed very sharp gate speed but had to settle for a seat in third early as Godiva Seelster, starting one post in from Pertty Music, left with alacrity as well for Wally Hennessey and took the field to an opening quarter in a snappy :27.1 with Just A Bee, with Mike Micallef in the bike, in the garden spot.
Just short of the opener, Bombilla Hanover was on the move forward and applied the tourniquet half way through the mile in :56 with Just A Bee a patient third and Pertty Music underway from fourth.
Three-eighths out, Hensley sent Pretty Music on a double move around Bombilla and moved a half length away from Godiva Seelster with the third station clocked in 1:23.2.
In the lane, a stubborn Godiva Seelster and the ultra game Pertty Music were going at it tooth and nail and, a sixteenth out, were joined by Just A Bee with Pertty Music and Just A Bee stopping the timer in 1:51 and Godiva less than a "tick" away.
“This was a much tougher trip than last week and my mare needed every bit of her own toughness to win tonight,” said driver Hensley. “The other two were very worthy opponents and it could have gone any way. And Joe's (Pavia) mare (Arodasi) must've paced her last half under :55. So we'll be keeping an eye out for her, too. It's a very competitive and classy group down here, nip and tuck all the way."
For Pertty Music, it was her sixth win of the year in 25 starts, pushing her 2014 bounty to $58,230. The win also vaulted her lifetime earnings over the $200,000 mark.
(Pompano Park)