Almost a half-million dollars in purses will be awarded Saturday night at Pompano Park when eight lucrative Florida Breeders Stakes championship finals are contested as part of an exceptional 12-race program plus one early non-betting event.
Dubbed 'Florida Super Night,' the richest card of the year will also include a patron t-shirt giveaway and a carryover which should insure a minimum $5,000 pool in the popular Pick 4 (Races 5 through 8).
The huge night will kick off at 6:50 p.m. when the three-year-old Florida-bred pacing colts take the track for their $53,200 final. Due to an owner entry in the compact field of five, the race will be a non-betting event. Keemosabe (to be driven by Bruce Ranger) will seek his 14th seasonal win from 19 tries for owner Jerry Glantz, but may get competition from Gold Star Spike (Rick Plano), who scorched the South Florida five-eighths mile oval last Saturday in a triumphant 1:51.4 prep race. Goldstar Raider (Walter Ross Jr.) may also have something to say about the outcome based on his 14-for-14 in-the-money 2012 summary line, including five victories.
The two-year-old trotting fillies will get the betting program underway in the first regular race with Tyree's Treasure (Bruce Ranger) shooting for her fourth straight score as the prohibitive 3-5 morning line favourite. Owners Hollie Proesel and Jerry Beach are hoping their talented filly can hold off Tea Party Express (Mel Turcotte), who has three Florida stakes wins and seven in-the-money finishes from eight starts in her first year of racing, in the $54,000 championship.
Freshman trotting colts go postward next with Tim T (Tom Sells) getting the slight 9-5 morning line nod over 2-1 Proud Expression (Mel Turcotte). Each of the colts brings a record of four wins and one place finish in recent stakes activity into the $57,800 final. The partnership of Morosini, Fritz and Prendergast own Tim T, while the hopes of owners Victoria Howard, Pete Roccasano and Mel Turcotte will be riding with Proud Expression.
Two-year-old pacing colts will race for a $54,700 championship purse with Thomas Audley's Goldstar Thumper (Walter Ross Jr.) installed as the 4-5 morning line choice over Amanta Standardbreds' Hillybilly (Kevin Wallis) who is listed at 8-5. The projected favourite has a 3 to 2 edge over the projected runner-up in head-to-head competition during the stakes season.
Sophomore pacing fillies will vie for $54,800 in a deep field of talented distaffers headed by Jay and Kim Sears' Quail (Bruce Ranger), who got oddsmaker John Berry's nod at 2-1. Prairie Lee (Tom Sells) is expected to get similar patron action off of her 5-2 morning line; while Diamond Amber (Kevin Wallis) and Gold Star Gidget (Walter Ross Jr.) may get considerable consideration too after starting at 7-2 and 4-1 respectably. All four of these top-rated pacing fillies are multiple stakes winners in the Florida stakes program.
Second-year trotting fillies will be presented next with an enticing $56,600 championship purse being offered. Selena (Bruce Ranger) will seek her sixth consecutive stakes win in the contest, but did have an uncharacteristic dull tune-up in a conditioned prep race a week ago. The DCLD Stable stalwart is deserving of the 6-5 morning line favoritism, however, as she has dominated the division throughout the year. Pinch Of Thyme (Kevin Wallis) is the second choice at 9-5 based on three consecutive runner-up finishes to Selena.
Freshman pacing fillies will line up for a $57,400 championship with six of the eight contestants entering the race off in-the-money stakes finishes. Dona (Bruce Ranger), owned by Tom Lehmann, is the 8-5 favourite over 9-5 Seven Arias (Deshawn Minor), 4-1 Dont Spank Me (Kevin Wallis) and 5-1 I Spy A Gator (Tom Sells). The two favourites each have five Florida-bred stakes wins in their budding careers, while the third and fourth choices have both earned over $20,000 in limited first-year engagements.
The Florida Breeders Stakes extravaganza will be capped off by the three-year-old trotting colts, who will chase a $54,400 purse. Matcan (Bruce Ranger) will undoubtedly be an overwhelming favourite when he goes for his 15th win in 16 lifetime starts. The pride of the Fred Monteleone Stable, the son of Matchem Hanover has already earned over $100,000 racing exclusively in Florida during his first two seasons. Only Trent's Ringer and High Speed in the balance of the field have won Florida stakes events due to Matcan's domination of this division over two years.
The impressive undercard includes a $10,000 Open I Pace highlighted by adversaries Neptune Blue Chip (Wally Hennessey) and Northern Companion (Robert Hoffman), who have dominated the weekly feature race since last Spring--combining for 24 wins between the two of them. The race could be more contentious this week, however, as Pacinello (Rick Plano) enters the fray for the first time following a most successful stint at Vernon Downs; and Yankees In Six (Kevin Wallis) moves up to the main event fresh off a 1:51.3 score in the Open II a week ago.
Post time for the regular program is 7:05 p.m.
(Pompano)