by Steve Wolf, Director of Marketing, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, Florida – March 12, 2005 – “This was the greatest performance of Hot To Trot that we have ever seen.” Said Pompano Park General Manager Dick Feinberg after Australian trainer/driver Vincent Silvestro compelted his amazing horse racing fireworks stunt show Saturday at Pompano Park.

Silvestro and his amazing Standardbred pacer, Hand Me Silver, wowed the crowd as they raced around the dark track, shooting off more than 2,000 rounds of fireworks as Silvestro stands on the shafts of his race bike with the reins in his teeth and then an infield display called “Circle of Fire” that had fans cheering and applauding both horse and driver.

“All the credit belongs to Hand Me Silver.” Silvestro said. “He is such an amazing horse to put up with all of these pyrotechnics and miss a step going one and a half miles. I just stand up there and he does all the work. I’m just so happy that everything went great and that everyone really enjoyed the show.”

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith

HOT RUM and driver Wally Hennessey capture the Open Handicap Pace in 1:52.2 Saturday at Pompano Park.

Hot Rum ($3.40) and driver Wally Hennessey were able to grind it out first-over on the outside from the backstretch and wear down pacesetter No Parole A (George Napolitano, Jr.) in the stretch to win the 7th race $9,000 Open Handicap Pace in 1:52.2.

The featured race saw Cam In Black (Richard Simard) and No Parole A battle for early control of the lead, Hot Rum emerged the hero as the betting favorite came on in the stretch to win by one length. Cam In Black was third.

It was the second win in five starts for Hot Rum, a six-year-old gelding by Cambest who is trained by Doug Miller and owned by Richard Schwartz of Boca Raton.

Star Role ($41.80) a 19-1 long shot, was able to squeeze between horses in mid stretch and post a head victory in the 5th race $8,000 Open II pace.

Trained and driven to victory by Tom Harmer, it was the third win this year for Star Role, who covered the one-mile race in 1:52.4 over Ira’s Noble Boy (Bruce Ranger) and Shine Towel (Wally Hennessey).