by Steve Wolf, sr. director of racing operations, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Tweedle Dum ($5.20, $3.60, $3.60) became the winningest racehorse in a single season in Pompano Park history on Wednesday (Nov. 22), scoring his 19th victory in the seventh race $10,000 Open Handicap Trot.

Also the winningest trotter in North America this year, Tweedle Dum and driver Walter Ross, Jr. led from start to finish, winning by 4-1/4 lengths in 1:55.4 over Guy Gets Girl ($3.80, $3.80), with U Toe The Bike ($7.80) third.

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith

Tweedle Dum and driver Walter Ross, Jr. breeze to a 4-1/4 length romp at Pompano Park in 1:55.4.

The previous record of 18 wins in a single season was co-held by Tweedle Dum and Lady Netty N (1999). This year Tweedle Dum in 29 starts has 19 wins, four second place finishes and two third place finishes. In 2006 Tweedle Dum has more than doubled his lifetime earnings with $103,005 bankrolled for the Gordon Norris Stable.

“He was full of himself tonight,” said driver Walter Ross, Jr. “Because he had not raced in a couple of weeks he only wanted to trot away from the field right at the start.”

Tweedle Dum is co-owned by Diane Norris with Alfred Brotter of Pompano Beach.

A $12,500 purchase in 2005, Tweedle Dum was found to have broken splint bones in both of his front legs. The owners decided to operate and within eight months Tweedle Dum returned to the races for his championship season. Tweedle Dum is a 6-year-old gelded son of Star Challenge.

“We thought he was beautiful and had perfect body movement when we first bought him,” Alfred Brotter said. “I guess we were the only people at the track that did not see he had major leg problems.

“At one point we even talked about having to put Tweedle Dum down,” Brotter explained. “The chances of him coming back to race from the operation was 50/50 at best, but we decided to give him a chance. I have to say that his caretaker, Erin Ginesi, was the key to him becoming a great, great horse. She nursed him back to health. She did everything that Gordon Norris and the vets said to do and he responded to her care.”