With howling easterly winds and driving rains pelting south Florida on Saturday night, Quebec-owned Duc Dorleans paced the second fastest mile in Pompano Park history.
The Melvyn Aylor Memorial events for two-year-olds were also contested at Pompano Park. Four of these events were off the betting card with only the pacing fillies on the wagering program kicking off the early daily double.
First, though, the epic journey of Duc Dorleans...
This four-year-old son of Shanghai Phil, superbly handled by Donald Dupont, wore down a stubborn Prairie Jaguar (Peter Wrenn) to stop the teletimer officially in 1:48.97, the second fastest mile in the 51-year history of Pompano Park and just 14/100th of a second back of Delivered From Zin's track record of 1:48.83.
Panocchio (Bruce Ranger), looking for his fifth straight win, was denied this night and finished third while Audreys Dream was fourth. Rage N Ryan picked up the final award in the field of seven.
Prairie Jaguar cut all the panels (:26.2, :53.4 and 1:21.1) in keeping his two main foes, Duc Dorleans and Panocchio, second and third, respectively, through those sizzlers.
Turning for home, Dupont left the pocket with the "Duc" and began gnawing in on "Jaguar's" lead, just nailing that one in the final couple of strides.
It was the third sub-1:50 performance for Duc Dorleans -- his mark coming in was 1:49.2 at Mohawk -- and, ironically, the very first sub-1:50 drive for driver Dupont, who has been in harness racing for 46 years!
After the race, Dupont said, "The only way to describe the journey was 'it was a dream journey.' I thought I had to leave here and try to get close up. You're never going to beat this caliber of field if you have to come from many lengths off the pace. And you must give credit to Prairie Jaguar. He is unbelievable. To pace a mile like that in these conditions is amazing."
Owned by Gestion C. Levesque 2005 along with Les Ecuries Dorleans, Duc Dorleans won for the fifth time this year in 23 starts, pushing his 2014 earnings to $115,456. The victory -- lifetime number 17 -- pushed his career earnings to $414,407.
As third choice in the betting, Duc Dorleans paid $7.00 to win.
Now, on to the Aylor Memorial events...
Prairie Fortune, Owosso Flash and Saturn put in dominating performances while while Brandy and Gold Star Dynasty showed determination in their respective winning efforts.
Prairie Fortune, a sharp looking juvenile by Arapa Victory, took an immediate lead when the gate opened and widened his advantage with every stride before being eased up late to score a 2:00 (:29.3) win for trainer/driver Mike Deters in the first division of the $10,000 Aylor for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
Owned by Deters along with Laurie Poulin, Prairie Fortune's win was measured at 13-1/2 lengths over Railee Workable (Mickey McNichol) with Victory Park (Bruce Ranger) third. RJs Iron Man and Carter were next in the quintet.
It was the third win in five lifetime starts for Prairie Fortune, sending the youngster's earnings to $14,447.
After the event, driver Deters said, "There's no doubt that he's a fast racehorse...he just has to keep his head on his shoulders. He did that tonight very well, especially in light of the weather conditions and driving rain."
The Deters-Poulin combo completed a "daily double" of sorts -- both were non-betting events -- in the $14,000 Aylor for the two-year-old pacing colts and geldings when their Owosso Flash made a quarter move to the top and went on to conquer the elements and a quartet of opponents in a lifetime-best 1:54.4. This son of Royal Millennium scored by 11-1/2 lengths over Gold Star Roger (Walter Ross) with Caesars Forum (Bruce Ranger) third. Drake (fourth) and Stutz (fifth) picked up the minors.
Now four-for-five lifetime, Owosso Flash vaulted his bankroll to $27,300 with the win and bested his previous mark by three and one-fifth seconds.
In a post race interview, driver Deters related, "He's still green...and he has a habit of doing a few crazy things but tonight he got those out of his system in the post parade instead of in a race like last start." The colt took Deters into the grassy infield going to the starting gate.
Deters then related, "I think he could be a good one...I hope so, anyhow."
Saturn took his division of the $10,000 Aylor two-year-old colt/gelding trot with a 10-1/4 maiden win in 2:06.4 for Bob Roberts.
This son of Proud Bushy, owned by Jay and Kim Sears, was in the garden spot until the final turn when he moved along side the leading Harrison (Mickey McNichol) and easily took command before widening his lead and hitting the wiree 10-1/4 lengths to the good. Trotting Miduhyo (Don Dupont) was third with Rocco Dangerous and Gold Star Kevin next in the field of five.
Now showing a scorecard of 6-1-0-0, Saturn boosted his bounty to $6,956 with the win.
The $14,200 Aylor for two-year-old trotting fillies went to Brandy, giving Jay and Kim Sears a "daily double" of sorts, as well.
This daughter of Proud Bushy won her third consecutive event in the lucrative FSBOA Stakes events by scoring a gate-to-wire win for Dan Clements in 2:07 to send her lifetime bankroll to $29,921 in just six lifetime starts.
Her winning margin was one and a half lengths over Palm City Slick (Bryce Fenn) with Run Around Sue S (Gaston Lareau) third and Little Misty May next in the quartet.
But before that event was made official, the judges, after reviewing the event, determined that Palm City Slick gained an unfair advantage going inside some pylons in the lane and "Sue" was moved up a notch.
On the card, Gold Star Dynasty and Paxxie renewed their rivalry in the $15,300 Aylor for two-year-old pacing fillies and, indeed, it was Gold Star Dynasty pinning a third straight defeat on Paxxie in 1:56.
Taking the lead after a brief early tussle, "Dynasty," a daughter of Six Of Diamonds and a recent purchase by the consortium of Oldford Farms, Jarold Hawks and Wrenn Racing, used a :27.4 finale to win for Peter Wrenn with Paxxie (Bruce Ranger) a length away. Davita (Bob Roberts) was third while Gold Star Sonata finished fourth. Gold Star Charming picked up the "nickel."
In a post race interview, driver Peter Wrenn said, "This appears to be a very nice filly...and the conditions were not the best tonight with the driving rain and wind but she was really rocking and rolling in the lane...a very game performance. I'm very pleased. It's a good omen for Super Night coming up next week."
Gold Star Dynasty now has a 4-2-0 scorecard in her six lifetime starts, good for $29,912.
Off at odds 1-20 and creating a minus show pool, Gold Star Dynasty paid $2.10 to win
(With files from Pompano Park)