by Steve Wolf, senior director of racing operations, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Esmeralda Semalu became the world’s fastest older pacing mare on a five-eighths-mile track on Tuesday (March 10) at the Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, winning the third race $16,000 Open in 1:49.4. It was the first time ever that a 5-year-old or older mare has broken the sub-1:50 mark for a one-mile race.

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith

Esmeralda Semalu set the world record for older mares with a 1:49.4 lifetime mark at the Isle Pompano Park.

The 5-year-old daughter of Electric Stena, trained and driven to victory by Joe Pavia, Jr., led from start to finish, winning in a romp by seven open lengths. The BJR Stable and the AGC Stable own Esmeralda Semalu, who paid $2.40 to win as the 1-5 favorite. The pocket-sitting U All BB (Bruce Ranger), who also set a world record last year, was second with Chapsboots N Spurs (Wally Hennessey) finishing third.

Esmeralda Semalu cut fractions of :27.1, :55.3 and 1:22.4 before kicking in a :27 last quarter to set the record. It was her fifth win in eight starts this year.

“She was just so smooth tonight,” Pavia said. “After she finished third last week I changed some of the rigging in her mouth and did not tie her tongue and that helped her breath better and what a difference it did for her performance.”

It was just three weeks ago that Esmeralda Semalu became the fastest mare in Isle Pompano Park history with a 1:51.1 victory. Now she is tied as the second fastest racehorse in the 45-year history at the track with her 1:49.4 lifetime mark. Only Load The Dice’s 1:48.3 record in 2007 is faster.

According to the United States Trotting Association, the prior world mark for older mares was 1:50 and was co-held by Poppy Lustre N in 2007 and Sherry in 2008.