Pompano Beach, FL — Pompano Park presented its version of the “David vs. Goliath” saga on Monday night (Feb. 1) with the tiniest of pacers with the lowest lifetime earnings, slowest lifetime mark and with the driver with the least lifetime wins conquering the best pacers on the grounds in the $11,000 Open I Pace.

Turning for home, Skip To My Lou stuck his head in front and began edging away in the final stages, scoring by 1-1/4 lengths. Dee Leftwich photo.

Skip To My Lou, the 5-year-old gelded son of Sweet Lou standing maybe 14 hands high, proved he has a heart the size of any Goliath with a 1:51.2 win for 21-year-old trainer-owner-driver Joe Chindano Jr. who, with 155 lifetime wins, was competing against four other drivers with combined wins of more than 37,000.

Skip To My Lou not only took top honors against the likes of Prairie Panther, Seeing Eye Single, Southwind Amazon and Ideal Feeling, he did so going first up on the backside as near gale force winds were beginning to pummel the South Florida five-eighths-mile oval.

As the wings folded, Southwind Amazon (Tony Hall) left with his usual alacrity and took the field to the opening panel in :26.4 with Seeing Eye Single (David Miller) on the prowl and assuming command three-eighths in and rolling over to the half in :55.2. With Skip To My Lou third at this point, Prairie Panther (Wally Hennessey) was on the move from fourth and forced the hand of Chindano, who tilted Skip To My Lou outside to begin gnawing away first up.

Turning for home, Skip To My Lou stuck his head in front and began edging away in the final stages, scoring by 1-1/4 lengths.

Said Chindano after the race, “Yes, he’s a tiny horse but he has a huge heart and powerful lungs and is about as game as they come. I was looking for a two-hole trip back of Southwind Amazon but that sure didn’t materialize and I had to take a chance going first up on the backside or get shuffled back to a no-win situation. So, I had confidence in ‘Lou’ and he sure didn’t let me down.”

For Skip To My Lou, it was his second win in this top company in three tries and third win of the year, sending his career bankroll to $129,651, still the lowest in the field where the four other starters had made well over $2.2 million.

Despite winning in his last start in this top class on Jan. 18 in a lifetime best 1:50.4, Skip To My Lou was fourth choice in the betting and paid $17.20 to win.

In the companion $11,000 Open Handicap Trot, Born To Thrive, handled by Rick Plano, went grinding his way to victory in 1:54.3, equaling his 2021 mark.

The altered son of Swan For All was last in his talented sextet early, pulled just after the opening panel and gradually gnawed his way to the lead once they straightened away for the charge home. Born To Thrive was three lengths clear of the 13-year-old warhorse Cantab Lindy (John MacDonald) with Born To Thrive’s stablemate, Sooo Handsome (Dave Ingraham) next. The Lionking AS and Gemologist picked up the last two awards while the 3-10 favorite Muscles For Life faltered after cutting panels of :27.4, :57.2 and 1:25.2.

For Born To Thrive, trained by Plano for Maryann Plano and John Campagnuolo, it was his 41st career success, good for $424,122. As second choice in the wagering at 5-1, Born To Thrive paid $13.00 to win.

Plano also won the $10,000 trot for $20,000-$30,000 claimers with Keegan Ho as this 8-year-old gelded son of Mr Cantab capped off the Pick-5 with a stunning 1:55.1 win at odds of 20-1. Also trained by Plano for Maryann Plano, who co-owns with Mindy Findling Repko and Jan Repko, Keegan Ho capped a 2-6-1-2-7 combo in the 50-cent Pick-5 for a return of $2,127.95.

Another $10,000 event — the Open II Trot — went to the 21-1 chance Boinganator for Kevin Wallis in 1:54.4. Trained by Jim McDonald for owner-wife Dona, Boinganator, a 7-year-old gelded son of Yankee Glide, led every step of the mile in scoring his initial win of 2021, returning $44.20, providing the fuel for a $1,456,46 ticket in the 20-cent Super Hi-5 finale. That jackpot has ballooned to $48,217.70 for the Tuesday program.

The final feature event on the Monday card — the $10,000 Open II Pace — went to Kinnder Jackson for Mike Simons, who was in the sulky for trainer Jake Huff and Rosie Huff, who co-owns with the Our Three Sons Stable. The 6-year-old gelded son of Allamerican Native got picture perfect handling from Simons in the garden spot through panels of :27.1, :56.4 and 1:24.3 before using a :27.1 finale to roll by late in 1:52. As 7-5 second choice, Kinnder Jackson paid $4.80 to win.

Simons had a double on the card, also scoring with Classicality ($11.40) in an $8,000 conditioned trotting event.

Other driving feats of note included Wally Hennessey scoring a double along with Tony Hall, making his debut in South Florida. Hall hit the winner’s circle with Border Control A ($5.00) and Brigadierbronski A ($13.00).

Finally, with Windemere Ryan ($10.40) teaming up with David Miller to reach the winner’s circle in the finale of the Pick-6, that 1-2-7-5-5-1 combination returned $12,341.40.

Handle for the Monday night program was a record $1,436,603, the highest in the track’s 57-year history.

Racing continues on Tuesday night with a $20,000 guaranteed pool on the Pick-4, which covers races six through nine.