by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — While thick cloud cover and another deluge of heavy rain prevented the stars from shining brightly over Pompano Park on Wednesday night (July 17), trainer Don Glowacki and driver Mickey McNichol provided the star power on the racetrack by teaming up for a hat trick on the mid-week card.

Dutchess Seelster, Brewing Master and Howie’s Heart, all trained by Glowacki and driven by McNichol, reached the winner’s circle, giving the trainer his very first nightly trifecta of wins. McNichol, with 4,521 lifetime wins, has, of course, had many.

John Campagnuolo’s Dutchess Seelster, a 7-year-old daughter of Duke Of York and the only lady in the field of trotters, won for the second straight week in the $8,800 feature, using gate-to-wire tactics to score a handy win in 1:56.4 over the track labeled “good.”

After sprinting to the top and carding an opening round of :28.2 to discourage any threats, McNichol rated the Dutchess through a second panel of :30.2. She turned on the after-burners on the backside and brushed home 1-1/2 lengths to the good over the pocket-sitting Tug River Dylan (Walter Ross, Jr.). Celebrity Legacy was third for Bruce Ranger while Sir Tyson and Good Luck Penny took the final two awards in the field of six.

The victory was the third this year in 17 starts for the brave mare and 23rd lifetime, sending her career bounty to $237,069. As the overwhelming favorite, Dutchess Seelster paid $2.80 to win.

Brewing Master, also owned by Campagnuolo, got things started for team Glowacki by winning under the picture perfect drive by McNichol, leaving from the six post for the lead and then yielding to the 3-5 favorite Famous Hall (Ranger) and stalking that one before edging on by inside the sixteenth pole for his first win of the year in 18 starts. Aqua Lindy (Lou Ginesi) was third. The time for the mile was 1:58.4.

Giving a serious hint in his prior start, Brewing Master was the 3-1 second choice and returned $8.00.

Howie’s Heart, owned by Glowacki and his wife, Jeanette, looked hopelessly out of it turning for home but McNichol found a seam in deep stretch to nail that victory in the very last stride in 1:56.4 for his fourth success of the year. Daughtry Hanover (Joe Sanzeri) and Change Your Luck (Gaston Lareau) were next in the photo.

Bruce Ranger also had three wins on the card, scoring with Railee Kwik, Shallow Hal and Allen The Optomist.

Railee Kwik, trained by Jim McDonald for owner Joe Pennacchio, used a final half of :59 to score a wire-to-wire win in 1:59.2 in an event for Sunshine Stake eligibles. It was not only his second lifetime win, it lowered his mark by almost eight seconds, his previous mark being 2:07.1 at age two.

Shallow Hal, owned by Marissa Tyler and trained by Frank Petrelli, also earned a new lifetime mark, scoring for Ranger in 1:58 and knocking more than two second off his previous best.

Finally, Tom Artandi’s Allen The Optomist gave Ranger win number three on the card, holding on to score by a head over a very fast closing Mustabeenadreamer (Tom Sells) in 1:56. Kennairnmachmagic (Greg Luther) was third with Angry Dwarf placed fourth in a superfecta event that paid $1,043.40 for a dime.