Grand slam, two doubles highlight stakes at Pompano.

Pompano Beach, FL – Pompano Park kicked off their Florida stakes season with an eight-race, non-wagering program sponsored by the FSBOA on Saturday morning (Oct. 12) and, apropos during the baseball playoffs, a driving “grand slam” and two “doubles” highlighted the card.

Hall of Fame driver Wally Hennessey had the grand slam pushing his lifetime win total to 10,292 while Jim McDonald and Carl Garofalo had the driving doubles. Hennessey reached the winner’s circle with Dave in the 2-year-old colt & gelding trot, Laurie Lee in the juvenile filly pace, Kerry B in the 3-year-old filly trot and Natasha in the sophomore filly pace. McDonald kicked off the festivities by driving Prairie Delight to a win in the filly trot for 2-year-olds and then guided Damian Hall to a handy win in the 3-year-old trot featuring a trio of geldings.

Garofalo guided Hurrikanekingjames to the winner’s circle in the 2-year-old colt & gelding pace and then capped off the program with a sharp looking Zaza Boy in the 3-year-old pace featuring a sextet of geldings.

Here is a complete recap of the eight race Sunshine State Stakes program:

TWO YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT-PRAIRIE DELIGHT
Prairie Delight, perfectly handled by trainer Jim McDonald, led every step of her mile, kicking off her racing career with a 2:07 performance–her margin of victory just short of 20 lengths. The daughter of Shibboleth Hanover, owned in part by McDonald, along with Dona McDonald and Bill Bigler, carved up panels of :32, 1:02.3 and 1:34.3 along the way. Proud Money (Wally Hennessey) was second followed by Whitney Annette (Jay Sears) and Brasen Bo.

TWO YEAR-OLD COLT/GELDING TROT-DAVE
Dave, a son of Proud Bushy, overcame a miscue early and then benefitted from others miscues during the first three-eighth of the mile to inherit the lead and went on to score an 18-1/2 length win in 2:11.1 for Wally Hennessey. Trained by Kim Sears for owners Dr. David Fishman and Jay Sears, Dave built an insurmountable lead half way through the mile and left YD Dream Machine (Marc Major),
Rhinestone Cowboy (Jay Sears) and Lincoln J in his wake to make his racing debut a winning one.

Speaking of the win, Hennessey said, “this is one instance where time means nothing as long as you get to the winner’s circle.”

TWO YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE-LAURIE LEE
Laurie Lee, named after one of Florida’s most successful breeders, made a sharp quarter (:30) move to the top under the guidance of Wally Hennessey and went on to post panels of 1:00.3 and 1:30.4 before romping home in :28.2 to break her maiden in 1:59.1–her
margin 3-1/4 lengths over Alil Touch of Pink (Marc Major) and Pocahontas Cam (Bryce Fenn) just another nose back in third. Gold Star Igotdis made a miscue three-eighths from home but did pick up the final check in this quartet. This daughter of Royal Millenium is trained by Kim Sears for Richard Dunmire and Jay Sears and registered her initial win in four career starts.

TWO YEAR-OLD COLT/GELDING PACE-HURRIKANEKINGJAMES
Hurrikanekingjames, already the author of a 1:55.1 over the Saratoga half-miler, had an easy task for Carl Garofalo, scoring by 15-1/2 lengths over Shuldahadahunemonn (Nick Coblentz). The slick So Surreal colt, owned by Jonathan Klee Racing, Kuhen Racing, Pegasis Investment Group and George Vierno, repelled a quarter bid (:30) with a :28.1 second panel and then coasted the rest of the journey to a 1:58.2 win. Now in the Lorenzo Stable and trained by Michile Lorenzo, Hurrikanekingjames now has a bankroll of over $53,000 in his 10 lifetime starts.

THREE YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT-KERRY B
Kerry B, handled by Wally Hennessey, stalked her only rival, Crown Bushy (Bryce Fenn), through panels of :30.2, 1:01 and 1:31 before tilting out of her cozy pocket turning for home and went on to score her first win of the year in 2:00.3. The daughter of Muscle Mass, trained by Kim Sears for husband Jay, was clocked in: 29.2 coming home to push her lifetime bounty over $53,000. After the event, Hennessey remarked, “She seems to like her surroundings here at Pompano Park much better than up north. She was relaxed all the way and strong when I asked.”

THREE YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLTS/GELDINGS-DAMIEN HALL
With a trio of geldings going postward in back of the Brownlee Starting Gate, Damien Hall trainer Jim McDonald got in the bike for the Pacing Pretty Stable and guided the son of Cash Hall to a wire-to-wire win in a lifetime best 2:00.4–:28.4, eclipsing his former mark
set last year by more than four seconds. Carding panels of :30, 1:01.2 and 1:32, Damien Hall left the pocket-sitter, Savin Park
(Wally Hennessey), almost four lengths back at the wire. McGoldrick, with Ted Rau making his first purse start in the sulky since 2002, finished third and trotted his fastest career mile in doing so.

THREE YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE-NATASHA
Last year’s Super Night Champion, Natasha, driven by Wally Hennessey, made her first start as a sophomore and took charge an eighth into the mile, carded comfortable panels of :29.2, 58.4 and 1:28.2, and then sprinted home in :27.4 to score a handy win for trainer Kim Sears and owner Jay Sears in 1:56.1. The daughter of Six Of Diamonds scored by 3-1/2 lengths over the late charging Rockin Ellie (Bryce Fenn) with Gold Star Stormie (Walter Ross, Jr.) edging by Lime Twist for show honors. Natasha now has a lifetime scorecard reading 11-9-0-1, good for $70,675.

“I let her do everything herself,” said Hennessey, “She was very, very sharp and I hope that bodes well for the rest of the season for her.”

THREE YEAR-OLD COLT-GELDING PACE-ZAZA BOY
Zaza Boy, driven by Carl Garofalo for trainer Michile Lorenzo, led every long stride of his mile and stopped the timer in a lifetime best 1:56.1–capped by a :28.2 finale. The gelded son of Rockincam popped off panels of :29, :59 and 1:27.4 before his romp home, defeating the late charging JB’s Boomerang (Bryce Fenn) by 1-1/2 lengths. Mister Marvalous (Wally Hennessey) in the pocket throughout the journey, was another neck back in third. The win gave Garofalo his driving double and provided trainer Michile Lorenzo with a similar accolade. Zaza Boy is owned by Souren Hovsepian along with Rod Lorenzo.

FSBOA’s Sunshine State Stakes resumes next Saturday morning.

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