by Steve Wolf, Director of Marketing, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, Florida – March 2, 2006 – The top mares at Pompano Park will go face-to-face Friday as former track record holders Turn It On and Race Me Valerie meet in the 9th race Mares Preferred Handicap Pace.

Turn It On, a nine-time winner in 2005, is the 7/5 favorite and starts from post five for driver Bruce Ranger. The eight-year-old daughter of Jate Lobell is the class of the field with career earnings of $351,000. She is making her first start of the year after a two month layoff and prepped for Friday’s race winning a qualifying event at Pompano Park last week by six and one-half lengths in 1:56.3. Turn It On is trained by Ed Prinz, Jr. and is co-owned by Kelly Prinz and Gerry Fortino of FL & IL.

Turn It On is taking on Race Me Valerie, who has won three of her past four starts in this class. She starts from post six for driver Kevin Wallis and is the 9/5 second choice in the race. The five-year-old mare by Ball and Chain has four wins already this season for trainer Linda Wallis and owners Yvette Prudenzano and Basil Kellis of Wells, Maine and last week led from start to finish in winning this event by a half length in 1:56.1 over a sloppy track.

Other contenders include Hypnotise (post 4) for driver Joe Pavia, Jr. and she was second last week to Race Me Valerie. Every horse in the field has won at least once in the last month.