by John Berry, for Pompano Park
Pompano Beach, FL — Born To Thrive and Second Sister took top honors in their respective $15,000 trotting features at Pompano Park on Tuesday night (April 10).
Skip Smith photo
Born To Thrive took top honors in Pompano Park’s $15,000 Open Handicap Trot on Tuesday night.
Born To Thrive, the 5-year-old gelded son of Swan For All, stopped the timer in 1:55.1 for Rick Plano over a track labeled “good” after heavy afternoon rains pelted Pompano Park. The late surging Uncle Hanover, handled by Andy Santeramo, was second, three-parts of a length away. Boli, with Wally Hennessey at his lines, finished third after a trip in the garden spot much of the way. Thundercrest finished fourth in an “even-steven” mile while Prairie Fortune overcame a miscue at the start to finish fifth in the classy octet.
At the outset, Midnite Craze blasted off the wings from his assigned outside eight post and proceeded through fractions of :27.1, :57.1 and 1:26 with Boli in the cozy pocket and Uncle Hanover next. Three-eighths into the mile, Born To Thrive began gnawing his way forward from sixth, reaching fourth halfway through the mile. On the backside, Born To Thrive kept applying the pressure, taking command around the final bend and opening up a two length margin once they straightened away. Subsequently, the issue was never in doubt as Born To Thrive sped through a :29 finale to score the win.
After the race, Plano said, “When Born To Thrive is on his game, he’s as good as any. He’s just a docile, friendly horse that will follow you around even without a lead shank. He’s that calm.
“I bought him for peanuts as a 3-year-old and he paid immediate dividends. I remember I bought him on a Saturday, picked him up on a Sunday, trained him on a Monday, qualified him on a Wednesday, entered him in a (Indiana) Sire Stakes that afternoon and he won the following Saturday, making him eligible to the final, which he won.”
In gathering his seventh win of the year in 12 starts, Born To Thrive sent his 2018 bankroll to $40,450 and $236,788 lifetime. Owned by Maryann Plano along with John Campagnuolo and Victor Contento, Born To Thrive was sent off as third choice at 5-1 and paid $13.00 to win.
Second Sister, the sleek looking 6-year-old daughter of Deweycheatumnhowe, was a gate-to-wire winner for Jim Meittinis, hitting the wire in 1:55.3. Carding panels of :27.3, :56.2 and 1:25.4 along the way, Second Sister easily held off Miss Flora, driven by John MacDonald, by two lengths on the strength of her :29.4 final panel over the sticky surface. Diamond Dagger, with Dave Ingraham in her sulky, rallied from eighth and last to finish third. CW Raisenette finished fourth while Modern Mercury picked up the nickel in the field of eight.
In a post-race interview, driver Meittinis said, “She (Second Sister) has been really good the last several starts and so I thought, since I had a great post here (five), that I’d leave out of there and either lead the way or get a nice trip. Mike (trainer Deters) has her sharp and competitive right now, so it worked out well for us.”
Owned by Jerold Hawks, Second Sister sent her 2018 scorecard to 3-1-3 in 11 starts, good for $31,750 this semester. Lifetime, she’s banked $395,049. Sent to the gate as the even money favorite, Second Sister paid $4.00 to her multitude of backers.
Racing continues on Sunday night with a $3 million field going postward in the $15,000 Open Handicap Pace. Miso Fast will seek his second straight win of the season but will have to overcome the outside post against his older rivals, including Hollywood Sign A, Dee’s Rocketman, Rock On Moe, track record holder Panocchio, Doo Wop Hanover, Drachan Hanover and Fritzie Pic Up Man. Post time is set for 7:20 p.m.