by Joe Hartmann, for Florida Harness Racing

Pompano Beach, FL — The top names in the Sunshine State will be on display this weekend as the finals of the Sunshine State Stakes will be contested Friday and Saturday night at the Isle of Capri at Pompano Park.

The 2- and 3-year-old filly pacers and trotters will be on display on Friday night (Oct. 2) while the freshman and sophomore colts and geldings will contest their championships on Saturday night (Oct. 3).

Headlining the Friday night program will be Frank and Inge Smith’s Pearl Of Capri. The 3-year-old homebred daughter of Famously, out of the Keystone Smothers mare Jettas Pearl, set a new track standard at the Isle of Capri at Pompano Park with a lifetime mark of 1:59.4 in a $3,648 division of the Sunshine Stakes last Friday night.

It was the 14th consecutive win for Pearl Of Capri, trained by Veral Bowman and driven by Bruce Ranger. The win elevated the filly past a pair of horses who had scored 13 consecutive victories at the Isle of Capri at Pompano Park.

Saturday night, Lorenzo, Hancock, Gentile and Pomtambo Stable’s Storming Howard, the 3-year-old gelded son of Mannart Howard, out of the Walton Hanover mare Keriann Hanover, goes for his sixth straight win and 11th in 16 lifetime starts in the Sunshine State Stake 3-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace final.

For 2-year-olds on both nights, a victory in their respective finals will give them a leg up on the $100,000 bonus sponsored by the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association.

Harness racing is currently being contested at Pompano Park on Friday and Saturday nights with a 7:05 p.m. post time. The racing schedule will expand to three nights a week in October with Wednesday night racing beginning on October 14.