In sport, home field advantage plays a key role in an individual or team success. There are three combatants entered in Pompano Park’s top Open Pace on Saturday night hoping that the ‘home field advantage’ tilts their way.
Prairie Jaguar, fresh off of a splendid 1:50.3 opening-night win, is the morning line favourite off of that impressive effort for trainer Mike Deters, who co-owns the Florida-bred along with Laurie Poulin.
Aaron Byron is expected back in the bike behind the six-year-old.
The son of Spy Hard has 19 lifetime wins—14 of those at Pompano Park. He’s also the author of five miles in 1:50 or faster over the slick five-eighths mile oval, the most in the track’s history.
On the other hand, Dorothy Zarza’s Northern Companion, known as ‘Buddy’ around the barn, has 28 of his 36 lifetime successes over the south Florida track, but he has never beaten ‘Jaguar,’ although he’s chased him home a few times this year.
Trainer Howard Klohr has employed the red-hot Mike Micallef to handle the lines back of Northern Companion.
One other combatant in the field, Cartoonist, third to the top two aforementioned horses last week, has 10 lifetime wins—all at Pompano Park.
Owned by the S S G Stables of ‘McWicked’ fame, Cartoonist is trained by Jim McDonald and has listed Bruce Ranger to drive the four-year-old son of Modern Art, who put in a credible performance last week in his first start back after a brief summer vacation.
The other entrants in the ‘Saturday Night Special’ are Hurricane Howard, Whos Your Maddy and Mr Dennis.
Hurricane Howard, now seven and a former ‘four’ claimer, has risen to the Open ranks and has 34 lifetime victories—21 of those at Pompano Park.
The Florida-bred, owned by Lawrence Barnett along with trainer Mike Deters, steps up to the top Open off of a gate-to-wire 1:54 victory for Tom Sells.
Veteran Sells gave Hurricane Howard a masterful drive last week by rating his charge to a :58.1 half and then sprinting home in :55.4 to crush an Open 2 field.
He’s coupled with Prairie Jaguar in the wagering for Saturday night.
Whos Your Maddy, owned by Twenty Four Carrot Racing along with Dan MacIsaac, only has nine lifetime wins but the last six have been at Pompano Park.
The five-year-old is best known for his ability to pace final quarters faster than :27 and makes his first start at Pompano after a five-week hiatus.
Trying to play ‘spoiler’ in the field is Mr Dennis, a five-year-old son of Dragon Again making his initial start at Pompano Park.
A winner of $205,540 lifetime, Mr Dennis is the property of the J L Benson Stables and will have the driving services of trainer Joe Sanzeri.
First-race post time is 7:30 p.m. and the feature has been carded as the third race on the card.
(Pompano)