by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — A huge Super Hi-5 carryover jackpot, currently over $135,000, the kickoff of the famed Billings Series and a “million dollar field” in Saturday night’s Open Handicap Pace highlight the week at South Florida’s Pompano Park.

The popular Super Hi-5, now untapped since mid-February, is a nightly final race event featuring a 20-cent minimum wager with one unique winning ticket necessary to take down the entire pool. In the case of multiple tickets on the winning combination, 50% of the net pool is shared by those winners with the other half going forward to the carryover for the next racing program.

Director of Racing Brett Revington said, “With the average 20-cent consolation payoff close to $600.00, our players have been rewarded with some hefty ‘dividends’ for their investment. No doubt it has been one of the more popular offerings here at the track…and getting even more popular with each passing night. It’s very exciting.”

The C. K. G. Billings North American Tour begins on Saturday with two divisions–one a pace–going behind the Hummer Starting Gate.

Pompano Billings regulars Dein Spriggs, Joe Pennacchio, John Campagnuolo, Teddy Bowman and Steve Oldford are set to do battle with Billings “invaders” Peter Gerry, Matt Zuccarello, Anthony Verruso, Robert Krivelin and Hannah Miller in these two special events.

The 23 year-old Ms. Miller has 12 wins in 33 career starts and comes off a 2014 season where she had a “batting average” of .648 with a 6-2-2 scorecard in 12 starts. This year, she has already won races at Monticello Raceway, Freehold and The Meadowlands.

Cornelius Kingsley Garrison Billings, by the way, was a very wealthy industrialist and noted horseman who was able to retire in 1901 at the age of 40.

He went on to own some of the nation’s most notable trotters and pacers, including the great Lou Dillon, the first trotting horse in history to trot a mile in 2:00.

Billings passed away in 1937 after having moved to Santa Barbara, California where many of the streets are named in honor of the champions he owned.

Pompano’s $10,000 Open Handicap Pace has lured a field of nine with four of the contestants owning sub-1:50 marks and the other five just a tick or two away.

Pannocchio looks to stretch him winning streak to three after his 1:50 winning performance of one week ago. Bruce Ranger will be back in the bike for trainer Jim Mattison from post nine.

Duc Dorleans, a close second to Pannocchio in his last two starts, has drawn post position eight for Donald Dupont and looks for his sixth win of the campaign.

Prairie Jaguar, Cruizin K C, Canadian Touch, Dont Tell Rusty, Neptune, Northern Companion and Steelhead Hanover complete the very talented field.