by Michael Costanzo, public relations coordinator, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — After a tough defeat last week in the opening round of the $250,000 Isle of Capri Pacing Series, Load The Dice got his revenge on rival He Wants It All in taking the $50,000 second leg at Pompano Park on Saturday (Feb. 17), covering the mile in 1:50.4 to set up a third confrontation in the $150,000 added final on February 24.

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith

Load The Dice and driver Bruce Ranger prevail in the $50,000 second leg of the Isle of Capri Pacing Series, covering the mile in 1:50.4.

Driven from post five by Pompano Park’s leading driver Bruce Ranger, Load The Dice settled along the rail in third place while first leg winner He Wants It All (Wally Hennessey) made the lead entering the first turn, taking the field through an opening quarter-mile in :27.3.

As the field passed the grandstand for the first time, Ranger tipped Load The Dice off the pylons and moved up aggressively to claim the front.

“I felt that there may have been some interference on the first turn (with Star Role, an entry with He Wants It All) and if one horse in an entry comes down, they both do,” Ranger said. “So, I thought I would take a shot at Wally (Hennessey) and go when I did. If that incident had not happened, I might have waited and moved later.”

With the lead comfortably his, Load The Dice cruised by the half-mile marker in :56 and was confidently handled down the backstretch through a three-quarter split in 1:23.3, with He Wants It All tracking the leader from the pocket.

Leaving the final turn, He Wants It All moved off the rail to attack from the outside, but it was a futile effort as Load The Dice began to draw clear in deep stretch, crossing the wire 1-1/4 lengths in front.

“Last week he had just shipped in a few days before the race and probably needed a start,” Ranger said. “He did really well that day, but he was much sharper tonight.”

“He’s a tough horse and he’s doing well right now,” conditioner Rod Lorenzo said. “He raced super at the Meadowlands and was super at Balmoral, so we’re just trying to keep the same form here.”

“We benefited from a better draw tonight,” Lorenzo continued. “And once he’s out there, it’s up to Bruce (Ranger) to decide how to handle him. He does a great job.”

Load The Dice returned $3.20, $2.10 for the victory, while He Wants It All paid $2.10 for second. Maltese Artist, who was third in the opening leg of the Isle Series, crossed the wire third once again. There was no show wagering available on the race.

The victory marked the fourth time that Load The Dice has defeated He Wants It All in the past six months. The pacers have met six times since last August, with four encounters coming at Balmoral in 2006, in addition to the two Isle of Capri Series races at Pompano this year.

Owned by the Engel Stable LLC and D.R. Van Witzenburg of Illinois, and Sheffield Stable of Pennsylvania, Load The Dice is a 5-year-old son of Cam’s Card Shark out of the Life Sign mare Under Your Spell.

With his Saturday victory, the gelding exceeded the $470,000 mark in earnings, and his winning time of 1:50.4 was two-fifths of a second off the Pompano Park track record for older geldings.

Streaking I Can Only Imagine wins again

I Can Only Imagine extended his winning streak to three on Saturday when coasting to victory in the evening’s secondary feature, a $10,000 Open Handicap Pace.

Driven by Brett Miller for trainer Tom Harmer and owner Michael Polansky of Loudonville, New York, I Can Only Imagine swept to the front in the opening quarter-mile and took the field through fractions of :28, :56.4, and 1:24.4 before cruising to a 1-3/4 length victory in 1:52.3.

The 5-year-old son of Cole Muffler has won three of his last four starts, and began his current skein of victories with a triumph on January 27, where he paced the mile in 1:50, the third fastest clocking in the 43-year history of Pompano Park.

Trading blue lines for the finish line

Hilliard Graves, who enjoyed an 11-year career as a right wing in the NHL and AHL, drove his first winner of the 2007 season at Pompano Park on Saturday when guiding Yankee Leader to victory in the evening’s ninth event in 1:55.2. Graves also owns the 9-year-old son of Artsplace.

Graves began his hockey career in 1970 with the Providence Reds of the American Hockey League, and had stints with the California Golden Seals, Atlanta Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets of the NHL.

Graves’ final season on the ice came in 1980 when he played 35 games for the Jets, tallying one goal with five assists.