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

Pompano Beach, FL — Chip And Gale A ($19.20) and driver Daryl Bier were the upset winners on Friday (Nov. 24) at Pompano Park in the $10,000 Mares Open Handicap Pace, scoring by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:54.

Driver Wally Hennessey was unable to hit the board in the top race of the night, but still stole the show for the evening as he won seven races on the card.

The first time Hennessey ever won seven races on a single card was at Pompano Park on June 12, 2004. He started off Friday with Glory’s Comer ($29.00) in the first race, then won the eighth with Evere’s Connection ($3.20), the ninth with Proud Busy ($9.40) and then swept the last four races on the program with Dr Butterfly ($10.40), Nude N Naughty ($7.20), Erikas Message ($7.00) and S F Empire ($6.40).

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith

Chip And Gale A pulls away at the finish to win the Mares Open Handicap Pace at Pompano Park in 1:54.

The 10th race feature started off with three lead changes as Golden Falcon N (David Ingraham) shot like a rocket out of the gate to take early command as Hypnotize (Joe Pavia, Jr.) grabbed the pocket seat and parked out Hyde Park Hussie N (Anthony Napolitano).

By the opening quarter in :27.3, Hyde Park Hussie N took command of the race but that was short lived as Pavia came first up with Hypnotize and they had the lead going to the half-mile in :56.1.

Then in the backstretch Ingraham came back with Golden Falcon N, giving great second-over cover to Asian Paradise N (Marc Aubin) and following third over was driver Daryl Bier with Chip And Gale N by the three-quarters in 1:24.2.

On the final turn Aubin sent Asian Paradise N three-wide as Bier moved Chip And Gale N four-wide. As they came down the stretch, Chip And Gale A proved to be much the best as she powered by the race leaders and easily held off the late closing Townline Lily (Bruce Ranger), who finished second, and Wilma Hall (Brett Miller), who was third. Wilma Hall was going for her fourth straight win in this class.

It was the 12th win this year for Chip And Gale A. The 9-year-old mare from New Zealand by Caesar Blue Chip is trained by Phil Goldwater for the Daryl Bier Stable and is owned by Vincent Ali of Manalapan, N.J.