by Steve Wolf, senior director of racing operations, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Esmeralda Semalu ($2.80) became the fastest filly or mare ever to race in the 45-year history of the Isle Pompano Park on Tuesday, Feb. 17, winning the $16,000 Mares Open Handicap Pace in 1:51.1 to set the all-age track record.

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith

Esmeralda Semalu set the all-age track record for mares at the Isle Pompano Park with a 1:51.1 victory in the $16,000 Mares Open Handicap Pace.

Trained and driven to victory by Joe Pavia, Jr., Esmeralda Semalu took the early lead away from Shytown Lightning (Andy Santeramo) at the opening quarter of the fifth race feature in :27.4. She then cut fractions of :56.2 and 1:24, before pulling away from the field and kicking in a :27.1 last quarter to win in a romp by 7-1/2 lengths over Chapsboots N Spurs (Wally Hennessey) and Shytown Lightning.

Owned by the BJR and AGC Stables, it was a lifetime record and the fourth win in six starts this year for Esmeralda Semalu, a 5-year-old mare by Electric Stena. According to the United States Trotting Association, Esmeralda Semalu is now the fastest mare on a five-eighths-mile track in North America this year. The previous all-age record for fillies or mares at the Isle Pompano Park was 1:51.3, set in 2006 by Wilma Hall.

“We purchased this mare for $75,000 last year,” Pavia said. “And she had some problems and needed tie-back throat surgery. So after that we gave her a lot of time off and now she has come back to reward us big time.

“She was off a week before tonight’s start, and in her prior start she seemed a little dull and could not get into the flow of the race so at the last second tonight I decided to change that and left out of the gate with her. Once she got to the front she settled down and obviously had plenty of pace.”