by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — By the slenderest of nostrils, Godiva Seelster scored a repeat victory in Pompano Park’s $12,100 Open Handicap Pace for mares on Tuesday night (April 12).

Skip Smith photo

Godiva Seelster eked out a narrow decision over All Charged Up in Pompano Park’s Open Pace for mares on Tuesday night.

The splendid 6-year-old daughter of Camluck, handled once again by Wally Hennessey, withstood a furious challenge by All Charged Up, with John MacDonald driving, to score in 1:52.2 for her second win of the year and 27th success lifetime in her 90th career start. Heart Major, with Joe Pavia Jr. in the bike, was third while Goldstar Rockette and Virginaire picked up the final two awards in the field scratched down to nine.

At the outset, both Heart Major and All Charged Up surged off the wings of the Hummer Starting Gate with Godiva Seelster floating up on the outside next from her outside post and pressing on to take the lead just a stride or two past the opening panel clocked in :26.3.

Godiva Seelster, All Charged and Heart Major continued to be 1-2-3 past the half in a rated :56.1 with the picked up three-quarters timed in 1:24.4. That’s when All Charged Up left the coziness of her pocket and began gnawing in the leader’s margin. In a classic finish, these two hit the wire virtually together with a blown up photo finish picture necessary to determine the winner.

After the race, driver Hennessey said, “Well, Godiva was tested tonight. Both of us — MacDonald’s mare and mine — were going all they could go. It was a classic duel all the way home and, to tell you the truth, I didn’t know who won it. It was a pretty hot opening quarter to make the front and I was lucky that my mare takes good care of herself and can be rated when she gets the chance. That second quarter probably was the deciding factor, if there was one.”

Godiva Seelster not only pushed her 2016 earnings to $33,508 on the strength of her 9-2-5-1 scorecard, she launched her career earnings to $253,275 and ran her streak of getting purse checks to 81 consecutive starts dating back to the start of her 2013 season. As the 2-5 favorite, Godiva Seelster returned a $2.80 dividend to those who invested $2 on her nose.

In the ever popular Over The Hill Gang trot, featuring 9-year-olds and up, Go Jesse Go, driven by John MacDonald, earned landmark lifetime victory number 25 with a gate-to-wire win in 1:56.2, just a tick off his lifetime best set two seasons ago. The 9-year-old altered son of Jailhouse Jesse carded panels of :27.1, :56.4 and 1:26.1 while never threatened during his 2-1/4 length victory over the pocket-sitting 11-year-old mare Flashy Lady, handled by Mike Micallef. On The Tab, with Wally Hennessey in the bike, finished third while Adenium finished fourth. I’ll Tell You What, last during the early stage of the mile, closed fastest of all to pick up the nickel in the septet.

Trained by Leon Cable for owner Anthony Chiniara, Go Jesse Go won for the third time this semester in 14 starts, pushing his seasonal bounty to $15,740. He’s banked $127,499 lifetime. Off as the slight 5-2 favorite, Go Jesse Go returned $6.80 to his faithful followers.

Racing continues on Sunday night with the $775,000 winner Dedi’s Dragon in action against Energy Shakes, St Lads Lotto, Prairie Jaguar, Northern Companion and Alexa’s Jackpot in the Open Handicap Pace.

Two divisions of the C.K.G. Billings Amateur are also on the card with many of the top amateurs in the country competing in two events — one of these a rare pace for the amateurs.

Also, a second Pick-4 wager has been added to the racing programs for the remainder of the season. The additional Pick-4 encompasses races two through five and complements the traditional Pick-4 on races six through nine.

Post time for the Sunday 11-race program is 7:30 p.m.