by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Pertty Music, owned, trained and driven by Ed Hensley, scored a repeat victory on Monday night (Nov. 17) in Pompano Park’s $10,000 Open Pace for mares.

Skip Smith photo

Pertty Music, driven by Ed Hensley, scored a repeat win in Pompano Park’s top Open Pace for mares on Monday night, covering the mile in 1:51.

The 4-year-old daughter of Jereme’s Jet scored in 1:51, a new lifetime mark, considering her other winning 1:51 performance was accomplished over the larger seven-eighths-mile oval at Hoosier Park.

Leaving from the outside post in this classy “million dollar” field, Pertty Music, once again, showed very sharp gate speed but had to settle for a seat in third early as Godiva Seelster, starting one post in from Pertty Music, left with alacrity as well for Wally Hennessey and took the field to an opening quarter in a snappy :27.1 with Just A Bee, with Mike Micallef in the bike, in the garden spot.

Just short of the opener, Bombilla Hanover was on the move forward and applied the tourniquet halfway through the mile in :56 with Just A Bee a patient third and Pertty Music underway from fourth.

Three-eighths out, Hensley sent Pertty Music on a double move around Bombilla Hanover and moved a half-length away from Godiva Seelster with the third station clocked in 1:23.2.

In the lane, a stubborn Godiva Seelster and the ultra game Pertty Music were going at it tooth and nail and a sixteenth out were joined by Just A Bee with Pertty Music and Just A Bee stopping the timer in 1:51 and Godiva Seelster less than a tick away.

In a post race interview, driver Hensley said, “This was a much tougher trip than last week and my mare needed every bit of her own toughness to win tonight. The other two were very worthy opponents and it could have gone any way. And Joe’s (Pavia) mare (Arodasi) must’ve paced her last half under :55. So we’ll be keeping an eye out for her, too. It’s a very competitive and classy group down here…nip and tuck all the way.”

For Pertty Music, it was her sixth win of the year in 25 starts, pushing her 2014 bounty to $58,230. The win also vaulted her lifetime earnings over the $200,000 mark — $203,647 to be exact. Off as the 2-1 second choice on the toteboard, Pertty Music paid $6.20 to her faithful.

Racing continues on Wednesday night with Baby Boy Grin and Andover America expected to vie for favoritism in Pompano Park’s Open Handicap Trot. Post time is 7:30 p.m.