by Frank Salive, publicity director, Isle Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Jim McDonald refuses to take all the credit for pulling off the night’s major upset in South Florida on Wednesday evening (Dec. 15). He moved his tack to Pompano in 1980 from his native Newfoundland and is one of the track’s longest serving trainers but seldom suits up to drive.

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith

Trainer Jim McDonald seldom suits up to drive but pulled off a double-digit upset with trotter Anton K on Wednesday at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park.

“My wife deserves the credit for just how well this trotter Anton K has come along,” McDonald said after he was in the bike for the double-digit upset in the fifth race which set up another generous payoff of almost $600 in the track’s popular Pick-4 wager. “Donna and I have only been married for two years but she’s really taken a shine to Anton K. You take today, for example. She was here from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. before her day job as a veterinarian technician with Dr. Caputo. Then she rushed back to the track after work. It’s really just the best when everything comes together for people who work so hard in this business.”

Anton K, a 6-year-old Yankee Glide-Box Trot gelding, left from post one in the conditioned trot test for a purse of $5,500. McDonald kept his charge covered up on the inside until the field turned into the stretch before fanning out four wide. The late brush widest of all by Anton K was enough to nip 5-2 co-favorite Celebrity Force by about an inch right on the money.

“Really this horse shouldn’t have been off at double-digit odds because he’d been trotting consistently in the 1:57-1:58 range,” McDonald offers. “He’d been sort of begging to get to the winner’s circle. A lot of people are asking if my wife had a word with the driver before the race. She did and I finally listened.”

Notable mile for Sun Island

A 1:55.3 tour of the South Florida oval for Sun Island on the Dec. 15 program turned out to be one of the best miles in the track’s 47 year history for a 3-year-old trotter.

The CR Excalibur-Sun Isle gelding was making his debut in the care of trainer Mario Desserault after a $10,000 claim (plus allowances) last week by Gene Kirsch of Coconut Creek, Fla. from Dan Daley. The track record for 3-year-old male trotters of 1:54.1 by Mack Lobell has stood since November of 1987 (and it’s also the longest standing category track record at Pompano). This effort by Sun Island did eclipse the track standard for 3-year-old gelding trotters which had been held at 1:56.2 by Railee Possible and Talk About Me.

Andover America does it again

The mid-week top class trotting feature for a $12,000 pot was earned by Andover America for a third straight time. After his stablemate Keystone Thomas made an uncharacteristic break in stride in the first eighth, Bruce Ranger was content to sit back fifth in the opening half with Andover Express and leave Baseball Express (Mike Deters) to set up the fractions of :28.1, :57.2 and 1:26.

Baseball Express put away the final half first over bid of Ginger Tree Jimmy (Chuck Connor, Jr.) but by early in the stretch Andover America had circled to the lead. Senator Hall (Joe Pavia, Jr.) emerged from the pocket for the place prize and Baseball Express held third.

Andover America, racing for Gerry Legault’s McTrade Enterprises of Davie, Fla., has won 16 of 31 starts and $141,295 in this his best career year to date.

There’s live racing at The Winter Capital of Harness Racing each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday evening at 7:05 p.m. Next week, a Thursday program is added on Dec. 23 and there is no live racing on Saturday, Dec. 25.