Hennessey Wins Pompano’s Final Race

Wally Hennessey, the leading driver in the 58-year history of Pompano Park, scored a “walk off homerun” on Sunday (April 17) in the last race ever contested in the South Florida oval.

Hennessey hustled Peter Blood trainee Beach Forecast to the lead by a :27 first quarter and rated on the lead while enduring first-over pressure from Drunkonaplane to a :55.2 half and by three-quarters in 1:22.4. Drunkonaplane retreated off the final turn while Lets Roll rallied from third-over after the leader late, but coming a head short of the even-money favourite at the end of a 1:50.4 mile. Warrawee Veloce finished third, Rocksapatriot took fourth and Shane Adam completed the top five.

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Beach Forecast and driver Wally Hennessey winning Pompano Park's final race.

A four-year-old gelding by Somebeachsomewhere, Beach Forecast competes for owner Rick Berks and paid $4 to win.

The victory was one of four on the evening for Hennessey, who easily wrapped another driver’s title at Pompano Park. He also captured Race 5 with Some Deal Hanover, the seventh aboard Big Sky Rocket and the 14th courtesy Pompano track record holder Panocchio (pictured above with Hennessey standing in the sulky). With 196 wins on the season, Hennessey finished well ahead of Dave Miller, who ended with 93 wins after his two victories on Sunday. Rick Plano finished third.

Plano, despite not having a single start on the card, did secure the training title with 73 wins, beating Mike Deters, who had 35 wins. Tee Wine, Frankie Bambrick and Jim McDonald finished in a dead-heat for third with 30 wins each.

David Miller made a cameo on the closing card, winning two races for trainer Devan Miller. Jody Jamieson trekked south of the border to drive on the card and won in the ninth race with Protect Blue Chip ($5.80) for trainer Jack Rice.

In between races were tributes to many of the people that made this 58-year run possible -- from track founders Fred and Frances Dodge Van Lennep to 60-year employee Charlie Adams, who helped keep the track in tip-top operating shape, to name a couple.

Tom Merriman, who campaigned the 2:00 pacer Philip Brian during the opening season, kicked things off by leading the post parade for the opening pari-mutuel race while Bill Popfinger, who, of course, was in the winner's circle on many occasions in 1964, had a win on closing night with Queen Me Again in the "Send It In Special Invitational."

The 16-race finale at Pompano handled $1,419,180.84, the third largest in its history and just shy of the all-time wagering record set on Feb. 16, 2021 of $1,608,440.

(With files from Pompano Park)