by Joe Hartmann, for Florida Harness Racing

Pompano Beach, FL — Three of the dominant racing operations in Florida-bred racing find themselves alive in the chase for the $100,000 bonus offered by the Florida Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association and the Isle of Capri at Pompano Park after the completion of the Sunshine State Stakes over the weekend of Oct. 2 and 3.

All three are previous winners of at least a share of an FSBOA bonus.

In order to capture the $100,000 bonus offered by the Florida Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association and the Isle of Capri at Pompano Park a freshman performer must sweep the four major Florida events. They are the final of the Sunshine State Stakes, the Florida Stallion Stakes, the Florida Sales Stakes and the Florida Breeders Stakes.

There are just four horses remaining in the chase that will culminate on December 5 when the Florida Breeders Stakes are contested on FSBOA Super Night.

A pair of horses from the successful Amante Standardbreds operation of Anthony Amante and Christine Garrity are in the hunt for the bonus.

Pocohontas Fame, a 2-year-old homebred daughter of Famously, out of the Pine Chip mare Native Pine, swept through the five week Sunshine State competition for trainer R.M. (Bob) Roberts as Wally Hennessey drove the filly to a new lifetime mark of 2:00.1 in the $12,000 final Friday night.

Saturday night, Be Famous, a 2-year-old son of Famously, out of the Malabar Man mare Celebrity Descent, scored his third victory in five lifetime starts with a new mark of 2:04.1 in the $12,000 final for colts and geldings. Be Famous is trained by Mel Turcotte and driven by Bruce Ranger.

“We knew Pocohontas Fame was a top filly but the colt has been a bit of a surprise,” Amante said Tuesday. “We knew he had talent and he is finally coming around.”

Trying to keep one alive in the bonus chase is a tough job.

“It is better to be in the hunt, than not,” Amante said. “But you have to love it, because it is not for the money. We’re racing for less money with higher bills. But it is a thrill to have two still alive.”

Amante Standardbreds captured the bonus in 2004 with trotter Dee Day Fame.

One of the most prolific breeders and racers of Florida-bred horses, the extensive operation of Jay and Kim Sears also captured a piece of the bonus in 2004 with the 2-year-old pacer Florida Boy, who at the time was also owned by North America’s leading driver, Jay’s son Brian.

This year, Team Sears is again alive in the bonus chase with Black Diamond Girl, also owned by breeders Penny and William Kelley. Trained by Kim Sears and driven by Hennessey, Black Diamond Girl captured her Sunshine State Stakes final with a new lifetime mark of 1:57.2.

A two-time winner of the bonus, the husband and wife team of Rod and Michile Lorenzo have a stable full of solid pacers. Diamond Howard, a 2-year-old gelded son of Mannart Howard, out of the Miami Mogul mare Amethyst, one of the best Florida bred fillies ever, is alive in the bonus chase after he beat Red Hot Howard in the $12,000 final.

Trained by the Lorenzos, who won back to back bonuses with I’ve Got The Power in 2005 and Ace MacTavish in 2006, Diamond Howard was driven to victory by Walter Ross, Jr.

“It is extremely difficult to capture the bonus,” Rod Lorenzo said. “I could have had at least two others. Amethyst was always two seconds better than the field and had one bad night and made a break.”

Lorenzo’s Storming Howard won three of the four legs last year.

“He drew the nine hole last year, got locked in and just missed by a neck.”

Storming Howard, now three, has won nine straight.

“It is so hard to keep them sharp for almost four months,” he added. “You just have to race them, keep them healthy and be prepared if they are still in the hunt in December.”