by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Ed Hensley’s Pertty Music, deftly handled by Kevin Wallis, held off arch-rival Just A Bee, driven by Mike Micallef, in Pompano Park’s $15,000 Open Handicap Pace for mares on Tuesday night (March 22).

Trained by Rod Lorenzo in Hensley’s absence, the 6-year-old daughter of Jereme’s Jet led at every juncture of the mile, clocking hot panels of :26.1, :54 and 1:22.4 en route to a 1:50.4 win measuring a length on the line. All Charged Up, teamed with John MacDonald, was third, 3-1/4 lengths away. Jets Are On and Southwind Trini shared the final two checks as they finished in a dead-heat for fourth in the talented septet of ladies.

Skip Smith photo

Pertty Music held off Just A Bee in taking the top Open Pace for mares on Tuesday night at Pompano Park.

This was a classic Wallis drive as he sent Pertty Music launching from the get-go from post five battling briefly with All Charged Up around the opening turn to take command. Just A Bee, also on the engine from her outside post, was able to wend her way into third early. Zipping along at a very lively pace, Wallis thwarted any serious challenges with Pertty Music until she marched into the final turn when Just A Bee left the coziness of her pocket and began her attack with 2-1/2 lengths to make up. Closing her mile with a :28 finale, Pertty Music hit the wire a length in front as Just A Bee’s :27.4 rally fell short.

In a post race interview, driver Kevin Wallis, now just 15 wins away from 10,000, related, “To tell you the truth, the outcome of this race may have been decided at the draw a few days earlier when Mike’s (Micallef) mare was assigned the outside post and we drew the six and eventually drew one post in from that with the scratch of Joe’s (Pavia) mare (Arodasi).

“Pertty Music had been racing very well lately and I figured that if I could get a jump on her, I might have the upper hand this week. That’s why I kept going with her all the way — to thwart any threats during the race.

“When two mares that are pretty much equal in ability, getting a jump of a length or two is very important so I had no choice but try and get that length or two at the start because I knew Mike’s mare would be leaving in there as well.”

For Pertty Music, officially off at 11-10 odds compared to Just A Bee’s 9-10, it was her second win of the season and 22nd lifetime, sending her career bankroll to $299,874. She paid $4.20 to win.

On the Hennessey watch to 9,000 North American wins, Wally won five races on Tuesday night and is now only 11 wins away from that plateau — not including his handful of wins overseas.

Hennessey won with Sue’s Your Daddy ($6.80), Mad Cow Lisa in the Over The Hill Gang Trot ($7.40), Big Package ($5.20), Sinspirational ($4.60) and Woman Of Terror ($7.60) in the Super Hi-5 finale.

Incidentally, Pompano Park’s Super Hi-5 had multiple winners again on Tuesday night with the carryover piercing $100,000 — now standing at $100,736.35 going into the Saturday program. Two other carryovers will highlight the Saturday card as well as the Pentafecta Fourth and Pick-5 were both unsolved on Tuesday night. The Pentafecta Fourth will have a carryover of $6,194 going in with the Pick-5 sporting a carryover of $5,568. Post time for the Saturday night program is 7:30 p.m.