by Steve Wolf, senior director of racing operations, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — I Can Only Imagine ($3.20) barely made a clean sweep of the Isle Pompano Park Pacing Series on Saturday (May 2), winning the $41,000 final by a head over a very determined Armbro Dynamic.

I Can Only Imagine (#7) barely held off Armbro Dynamic (#5) to win the $41,000 final of the Isle Pacing Series.

Sent off as the 3-5 betting favorite, driver Bruce Ranger did what he has done with I Can Only Imagine the last three weeks, and that is leave out of the gate and get to the front. Only this time Sugar’s Pride and driver Anthony Napolitano also left and pushed I Can Only Imagine to an opening quarter in a blistering :26.2 to start off the sixth race feature.

Ranger then took command of the race with I Can Only Imagine, leading to the half-mile in :55.1 and the three-quarters in 1:23 as Sugar’s Pride could barely keep up. Then on the final turn, driver Wally Hennessey, who was stalking the leaders in third place with Armrbo Dynamic, started to make his move, coming first over and passing right by Sugar’s Pride.

Then as I Can Only Imagine looked comfortable on the lead in the stretch, Hennessey kept closing ground with Armbro Dynamic and Ranger went to work on I Can Only Imagine and barely held Armbro Dynamic off at the finish to win in 1:50.4. Disco Dragon (David Ingraham) was third.

Trained by Tom Harmer and owned by Michael Polansky, it was the ninth win this year for I Can Only Imagine, a 7-year-old stallion by Cole Muffler.

“He is a good old horse and so classy,” Bruce Ranger said after the race. “I asked Tom (Harmer) if I could take him with me to Rockingham this summer, but he said no.”

Rif Raf Star ($50.20), a 24-1 longshot, took advantage of a speed duel by race favorites Front Page Star and Armbro Claret, in capturing the $12,000 final of the Four Wars Pacing Series for $4,000 claimers.

Lap Time Photos – Skip Smith

Rif Raf Star collared Armbro Claret at the wire to win the $12,000 final of the Four Wars Pacing Series.

The third race started off with Shout The Boys N (Richard Simard) parking out Armbro Claret (Fern Paquet, Jr.) to the opening quarter in a quick :27.1. Once Armbro Claret cleared to the lead they had little time to even think of taking a breather as the 1-9 favorite, Front Page Star and driver Anthony Napolitano, quarter moved to take command but Armbro Claret and Paquet saw things differently.

Armbro Claret parked out Front Page Star to the half-mile marker in :55.2 as Front Page Star nearly cleared to the lead but Armbro Claret dug in again and would not let them pass. As they reached the three-quarters in 1:23.4, Front Page Star was all through as All My Best (Wally Hennessey) swept around him and Bruce Ranger had Rif Raf Star on the move.

Coming down the stretch, Armbro Claret was still game on the front end but Rif Raf Star kept closing the margin and collared him before the finish to win by a half-length in 1:53.3. All My Best was third.

“The race just set up good for him (Rif Raf Star),” Ranger said. “The two favorites beat up on each other and we just waited and made our move.”

It was the third win this year for Rif Raf Star, a 9-year-old gelding by Stubby B, who is trained by Jimmy Salerno and owned by Don Locricchio.

The Isle Pompano Park has changed its live race schedule for the last two weeks of the meet and will now feature live racing only on Wednesday and Saturday through closing night on Saturday, May 16.