by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Pertty Music, owned, trained and driven by Ed Hensley, made her first career start at Pompano Park a winning one when she found a seam in the lane and stormed home in :28.1 to stop the timer in 1:51.3 in the $10,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace.

Skip Smith photo

Pertty Music made her Pompano Park debut a winning one on Monday night in the top pace for mares.

The 4-year-old daughter of Jereme’s Jet won for the 12th time during her career but this was her first success over a five-eighths-mile oval — her other successes coming over half-mile, seven-eighths-mile and mile tracks both south and north of the border.

Her margin of victory this night was a length over a very gritty Godiva Seelster, who lead every step of the journey for Wally Hennessey…except the final few. Just A Bee, driven by Mike Micallef, also put in a game performance, pressuring the leader most of the final lap but falling 1-1/4 lengths short at the line. Elleofnxample was fourth while favorite Arodasi picked up the nickel in the octet.

When starter Adam Brownlee sent the field on their way, both Godiva Seelster and Pertty Music showed gate speed with Godiva Seelster reaching the opening station in :27.3 before reaching the half in :56.3.

At that juncture, Just A Bee was already putting on the pressure and these two battled through a third panel of :26.3, reaching the three-quarters in 1:23.1.

Meanwhile, Pertty Music was just biding her time and patiently waiting for a seam to loosen up front turning for home. When the first stitch came apart, Hensley sent his charge flying and she was able to collar the leaders and go on to victory.

After the event, driver Hensley said, “She’s shown she has a great kick, especially on a large track, so I wasn’t sure about how she’d handle a slightly smaller oval, having come from the larger one in Indiana. I haven’t had her all that long but she’s proving to me that she can go with the top ones.”

The victory was the fifth of the year in 24 starts for Pertty Music, pushing her seasonal bounty to $53,230. She’s banked $198,647 lifetime and owns a splendid mark of 1:51, accomplished over the seven-eighths surface at Hoosier Park.

Off at 7-2 as second choice in the betting, Pertty Music paid $9.40 to her backers.