by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — I’ll Tell You What, who had been knocking at the Open I winner’s circle door the last few starts, finally was able to gain entrance on Wednesday night (Jan. 30) at Pompano Park by scoring a convincing open lengths victory in 1:55 for Dave Ingraham.

Skip Smith photo

I’ll Tell You What, driven by Dave Ingraham, captured Pompano Park’s Open Trot on Wednesday in 1:55.

The hard hitting 8-year-old son of Lockkeeper, away sixth in the early going, was out and churning forward with one lap to go, collared the leading lady Dutchess Seelster turning for home and then opened daylight in the final stages for his 40th lifetime win.

Dutchess Seelster, handled by Wally Hennessey, was a clear second while the photo finish camera separated Commander K (Joe Pavia, Jr.) and Adenium (Dan Daley) for their respective third and fourth place finishes.

Owned and trained by Debra Clayton, I’ll Tell You What earned his first victory of the year to send his lifetime bounty to $268,393.

After the race, Ingraham said, “This trotter gives his all every race. He grinds and grinds and grinds forward and doesn’t quit an inch. That Dutchess Seelster mare is a very good one and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to pick her up…but, I’ll tell you what, he really was sharp when it counted.”

The Open II Trot went to Pure Barre, with Mickey McNichol handling the lines, in 1:55.3. The 5-year-old Classic Photo mare with a propensity to close “like gangbusters,” did just that, collaring the pacesetting Lady Deda D in the final stages of the mile. Prairie Big John finished third for Tom Sells with longshot Winuendo fourth.

Also on the card, Tamarack Hanover, competing in $8,000 claiming events as recently as two months ago, put in a startling performance in a conditioned optional claiming event — he was not in for a tag — by wiring together panels of :27.2, :56.4 and 1:25.4 en route to a lifetime best 1:55 performance for Stephane Lareau.

The 7-year-old gelded son of Cantab Hall is owned and trained by Andre Bousquet. His previous mark was 1:56.4 last year over the same five-eighths-mile oval.