by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Wally Hennessey celebrated his much deserved election to harness racing’s Hall of Fame by winning the $10,000 Open Handicap Pace for Mares with Evere’s Connection on Friday night (September 8) in 1:54.3 at Pompano.

Lap Time photo

Wally Hennessey celebrates his election to the Hall of Fame by driving Evere’s Connection to victory in the Pompano Park feature Friday night.

Hennessey sent the six-year-old daughter of Village Connection grinding out of the gate to take the lead from a stubborn Hyde Park Hussie N (Bruce Ranger) at the quarter in :27.3. “Hussie” then quickly retook and carved out fractions of :57 and 1:25.3 with Evere’s Connection still in the pocket and the always tough Chip And Gale A, with Daryl Bier driving, wending her way into contention.

Turning for home, Evere’s Connection popped out of the pocket and forced Hyde Park Hussie N into submission in the final strides with the winning margin being three-quarters of a length. Chip And Gale A finished third.

For Evere’s Connection, owned by Robert Gianquitti of Lake Worth, Florida, it was her sixth win of the year in 29 starts and sent her 2006 bounty to $44,797.

In other action, pacing fillies were in action in the fourth leg of the Florida Sunshine State Stakes.

The juvenile event went to Lucy Lucy, who scored a game win for Bruce Ranger in 1:56.3 for her fourth win in a row. Owned by trainer Kim Sears, along with husband, Jay, Lucy Lucy engaged Leavembehind (Wally Hannessey) in a brief speed duel out of the gate before yielding — briefly — through an opening panel in :28.

The Tough Sir filly then reclaimed command after three-eighths of a mile and clocked subsequent fractions of :58.1 and 1:27 before repelling Leavembehind in the final stages for the win measuring a length. Flutterbutt was third for Wally Ross, Jr.

Lucy Lucy is now four for eight in the win column with earnings of $23,228.

The three year-old division was split in two with Goldstar Bonaire and I Am Nasty sharing the spotlight.

Goldstar Bonaire, also handled by Ranger for owner-trainer Tom Audley of Bell, Florida, took the lead one step out of the gate and cut all the fractions — :28.4, :59.2 and 1:28.3 — before sealing the issue with a final quarter of :29 which stopped the timer at 1:57.3. Ima Southern Lady (Ross, Jr.) was second and three lengths back of the winner while Fly Italia (Marc Aubin) closed for third.

For Goldstar Bonaire, a daughter of Starfleets Command, it was her third victory in only five starts this year and sent her lifetime bounty past the $47,000 mark.

I Am Nasty, a sharp Scoot Outa Reach filly, kept her 2006 record perfect at four-for-four with a lifetime best 1:54.4 clocking for Wally Hennessey. Owned by Craig Mc Evoy of Casselberry, Florida, I Am Nasty used the identical tactics as in her last victory — getting away third and then sprinting to the lead after Flirty Feathers (Tom Haughton) took the field to an opening quarter in :28.

From there, Hennessey rated the filly through fractions of :57 and 1:26.3 before letting her loose through a final quarter of :28.1 to score by a length over Flirty Feathers. Miss Amber T was third for Daryl Bier.

I Am Nasty now has won 13 of 15 lifetime starts — she was second in her other two — and has bankrolled $72,192.