by Steve Wolf, marketing director, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — The $48,000 Florida Sunshine Stakes Finals for two and three-year-old state-bred trotters take place at Pompano Park on Wednesday, September 21.

Race favorites include J P Sage, Docs Krista, Famous Lover and Admiral Nemo, who can continue his quest towards a $100,000 bonus award if he can win his thirrd race division.

Culminating five weeks of preliminary action, each of the four Florida Sunshine Stakes finals compete for a purse of $12,000.

(Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith)

Admiral Nemo (Bruce Ranger) is favored in the Sunshine Stakes Final for freshman trotting males.

Admiral Nemo will start from post four for driver Bruce Ranger and is the 5-2 favorite in the third race Sunshine Stakes final for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings. A winner in five of his eight lifetime starts, Admiral Nemo scored a lifetime best time of 2:00.1 in his last start for owner Robert La Casse of Rochester, New Hampshire and trainer Warren Harp. His main competition will come from Famous Mark (post two), the only horse to have defeated Admiral Nemo in his last five starts.

Admiral Nemo had won the $30,000 Florida Stallion Stakes back on August 3, which kept the son of Crown Cam eligible to share in a $100,000 bonus award offered to any two-year-old Florida-bred that can win all four stakes finals. The Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association and Pompano Park offer the award.

J P Sage, despite drawing post eight, is the 5-2 favorite in the first race final for two-year-old trotting fillies. The roan daughter of Basil has been nearly perfect, winning six of seven lifetime starts for trainer/driver Mike Deters and co-owner Robert Powell. Her only failure was in the Florida Stallion Stakes where she broke stride for the first time and finished fifth, eliminating any chance of competing for the $100,000 bonus award.

Doc’s Krista drew the far outside post nine for the second race $12,000 final for three-year-old trotting fillies and will be driven by Wally Hennessey. She has won five of her six starts this year for trainer Robert Williams, Jr. and owner Dr. Andrew Michael Roberts of Lexington, Kentucky. The daughter of Guided Speed is on a three race winning streak. Her last loss came against longtime rival What A Pearl (post three), who has been made the 5-2 favorite for the final, while Doc’s Krista is the 7-2 second choice in the race. Another contender in the field is Crown Candie (post eight), who has been second in her last three starts in the series.

The entry of Famous Lover (post three) and Dee Day Fame (post nine) loom the over the field in the fifth race final for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings. Both colts are trained by George Harp, Jr. and were bred and are owned by Christine Garrity and Anthony Amante of Delray Beach. Famous Lover is the stronger part of the entry with three wins this year.

Talk About Me from post one is the 2-1 favorite in the race. He was second last week in the series and two starts back had won in 2:00.4 for driver Mickey McNichol and trainer Robert Schell. Railee Possible (post eight) is the fastest winner in the field, having won last week in 1:57.4 for driver Wally Hennessey and has three wins in eight starts this season. Railee Possible is the 9-2 third choice in the race.