by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Galarina, patiently driven by Andy Santeramo, took top honors in Pompano Park’s $13,200 Open pacing feature for mares on Monday night (April 2), slipping through along the pylons late to score in 1:53.

The 7-year-old daughter of Dali pinned a defeat measuring a half-length on the pacesetting Freakonomics, handled by Jim Meittinis, with Roll With Faith, teamed up with Dave Ingraham, next, 1-1/4 lengths away. Strings finished fourth while Bring Me Diamonds picked up the nickel in the classy sextet.

As the wings folded, Freakonomics, leaving from the outside, was on the engine along with Galarina, post five, with the former taking charge into the initial turn and the latter settling in the garden spot. Through an opener of :27.1, Meittinis was in the process of rating his charge when Dave Ingraham sent Roll With Faith up to challenge halfway through in :57.

On the backside, Freakonomics and Roll With Faith were in a war with Santeramo sitting chilly along the inside with Galarina, hoping for a seam once they completed three-quarters in a picked up 1:25.1. Once they straightened away, that seam — though small — opened up and Santeramo pinched on through with Galarina to hit the wire in 1:53 — her official last quarter :27.3.

In a post race interview, Santeramo related, “Galarina has such a great attitude. You know, mares can be a little, shall we say, unpredictable at times but she’s got such a great attitude. She doesn’t get rattled at anything and, when she goes behind the starting gate, she’s all business.

“I wasn’t really sure that she could beat the caliber of mare that Freakonomics is but she probably needed a start to tighten up, so I think we were fortunate in that respect. Both of our mares sure raced good, though.”

Galarina earned her ninth win of the year on Monday night — tied for most in North America with Regil Tiger — in 13 starts with her earnings ballooning to $48,826, more than $10,000 than her entire 2017 total in 40 starts. Since her claim for $8,000 last Nov. 6, Galarina has won 13 times and banked $63,923 for the M T Pockets Stables.

As for Santeramo, he is the second leading percentage driver at Pompano Park — winning at a 24 percent clip — and, as of this date, the leading UTR trainer in North America this year with a batting average of .581.

In the “better for the bettor” department, Pompano Park’s Super Hi-5 was solved on Monday night with one 20-cent ticket having the 6-2-10-5-3 combination worth $17,338.12.

Racing continues on Tuesday night with a million dollar field assembled in an Over-The-Hill Gang trot, as well as a special five-eighths-mile dash featuring world record holder Sooo Handsome, who will be facing Foundonabeach, Thundercrest and William Star, among others, all winners at the distance. Post time is set for 7:20 p.m.