by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Arodasi, back in business after a two month layoff, took top honors in the $10,000 Open Pace for mares on Sunday (Jan. 5) at Pompano Park, scoring a handy win for Joe Pavia, Jr. in 1:52.1.

Dee Leftwich photo

Arodasi returned to the racing wars after a two month layoff and won the Open Mares Pace at Pompano Park on Sunday night.

The 5-year-old daughter of Western Terror, owned by the consortium of Peter Shank, Joseph Barbera, AGC Stables and the Joe Pavia, Jr. Stables, used a bold first over backside bid from third into the lead around the final turn and went on to score by two lengths over De Vins Girl (Rick Plano), who led through opening panels of :28 and :56.2. Love You Bye (Jimmy Whittemore) finished third while Fashion Ruffles and Southwind Trini earned the final awards in the field of seven.

Driver Joe Pavia, Jr., in a post race interview, said, “She really doesn’t like to go first up — she likes a cover trip better — but she qualified so well and she’s fresh so I decided to give it a go and she responded with a very sharp performance. She must’ve paced her final half in :55 and change (actually :55.1), so I am very pleased with her performance.”

As second choice in the wagering pool, Arodasi paid $7.00 to win and pushed her lifetime bounty to $175,311 in the process.

The Open 2 Pace for the mares went to Bombilla Hanover with Bruce Ranger handling the mare’s lines for trainer Peter Blood.

Bombilla, a 6-year-old daughter of The Panderosa co-owned by Blood along with Rick Berks and Lew Whitaker, paced her final three-quarters in 1:24.3, coming from last in her field to take the lead a few steps into the stretch and then held off the furious late challenge of Loretta (Ricky Macomber, Jr.) to score by a nose in 1:53.1. Oceans Motion (Dave Ingraham) finished third while Sabriana Lane and Windows Online also earned checks in the field of seven.

For Bombilla Hanover, it was her 22nd lifetime success, sending her career bounty to $166,613.

The thunder and lightning expected later in the area arrived on the racetrack a bit early in the second leg of the Chucaro Ahijuna Late Closer when the Burke Racing Stable/Weaver Bruscemi team struck with Call Me Star handled by Ricky Macomber, Jr.

With the toteboard odds number only going up to 99, the 4-year-old daughter of Keep It A Secret, under the training care of Jamie Rucker here in Florida, swept up on a double-bubble move heading into the far turn, collared the leader Frenchmen in mid-stretch and held off the furious late surge of Surclasser (Stephane Lareau) to win by a scant nostril in 1:57.2, lighting up the tote with a $316.00 win mutuel.

Soxy’s Kid (Ed Hensley) was a fast closing third. Ulay Boko finished fourth, less than a length away, with Frenchmen only able to salvage the nickel in the field of nine.

The mare came into the event as the highest money winner for 2013 in her field but made a miscue in her last start and finished far back.

Trainer Jamie Rucker went to work “from the ground up” to regroup with the mare and her diligence paid off as her manners were “impeccable,” according to driver Ricky Macomber, Jr.

Finally, in the Florida Amateur Driving Club Trot, Pacific Cyclone, trained by Ted Rau for owner Robert Walsh, eked out a narrow victory over Peaceful Prince (Teddy Bowman) in the final stride for the win — noteworthy because the victory was the first for driver Jeff Schaefer since May 2, 1998, when he drove Sportsman’s Dream to a photo finish victory at Pompano Park as well.

Schaefer, a farrier at the track, started driving again in amateur events back in 2012 after a 14-year hiatus from the bike. The victory was his 70th lifetime.