by Frank Salive, publicity director, Isle Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — To say the starters from the Ron and Bernie MacArthur Stable were awesome in April at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park would be a bit like saying it’s hot in Acapulco in August.

Skip Smith/Lap Time Photo

Bernie and Ron MacArthur were in the Pompano winner’s circle four times in the month of April at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park. They were joined for this photo with 3-year-old pacer Waldy Jimmy by their nephew, Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf, and his actress girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert.

Their two starters were nothing short of terrific and they almost rang up an undefeated month. As it was, 3-year-old gelding Waldy Jimmy won all three of his starts in April and veteran mare Major Trap had a win, a second and a third in three outings last month in South Florida.

The awesome April compiled by the MacArthur barn was capped on the final program of the month. Last Saturday night, Waldy Jimmy was moved up in class to face eight sturdy veteran rivals in an $8,500 purse conditioned test. Wally Hennessey moved the 3-year-old Yankee Cam-Shannon Deja Vu gelding to the front after a :28 second first quarter and he coasted home the rest of the way with three more :28 second quarters to score handily in a life’s record clocking of 1:52. He not only swept his April starts but ran his win streak up to five in a row.

“He was bred by Rejean Lassonde up in Quebec and perhaps his best known sibling was a $50,000 yearling named Ultra Jimmy (by Electric Stena, still racing from the care of Ontario trainer Ken Oliver) and as time goes on we expect it will get trickier to classify him, we’re not really sure what to do now with Waldy Jimmy” Bernie MacArthur explains. “Ron and I have really enjoyed bringing him along this far but there’s a lot still up in the air about what to do with him since he’s been such a pleasant surprise to us” she added.

In a short while, Bernie and Ron MacArthur will be making their annual pilgrimage back to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island for the summer. They’ll be joined again this year for a good portion of their time there by their grandson, Toronto Maple Leafs hard hitting defenseman and captain Dion Phaneuf, and his girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert, a well established Canadian born Hollywood actress.

Also coming to hand for the MacArthur Stable in April at Pompano was their 6-year-old mare Major Trap. After a tight runner-up finish and a well deserved win in an $8,000 purse non-winners condition, she proved she still has what it takes to race at the top level in Florida. The career winner of almost $170,000 held the lead into the stretch and was a close-up third place finisher in her outing on April 26 in the $14,000 purse top distaff class.

Major Trap will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with again in the Tuesday evening 3rd race feature on May 3. She’s drawn post 3 in this week’s installment of the $14,000 winners over handicap for the top mares at the track.