by Steve Wolf, Director of Marketing, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, Florida – February 23, 2006 – Headlined by the richest horse race in North America this season, Pompano Park features its biggest night of racing Saturday with the $159,000 final of the Isle of Capri Casinos Pacing Series. Also on the program will be the $82,600 final of the Mack Lobell Trotting Series and the $50,000 Red Bow Tie Pace for Florida-breds.

The evening festivities at the track Saturday also feature an Isle of Capri baseball cap giveaway, free miniature horse rides and face painting for children, live Calypso music and free vacation prize drawings.

The 8th race Isle Pace finale has drawn the top two Standardbreds in the sport, He Wants It All and Hop Sing, who battle again for the second straight week. The two met for the first time last Saturday in a $50,000 preliminary round with Hop Sing coming back in the stretch to win by a head after He Wants It All, who had early trouble and made a remarkable comeback.

In the opening round of the series, He Wants It All tied the all age track record at Pompano Park with an amazing 1:49.4 victory, his sixth straight win for trainer Tom Harmer and owner Michael Polanksy of Loudonville, NY. He Wants It All also won the Isle Pace final last year at Pompano Park. He Wants It All will start Saturday from post five and is the 6/5 morning line favorite for driver Dave Magee from Chicago, a member of the Hall of the Fame with more than 10,000 victories in his career.

“I wanted to draw the 4 or 5 post.” Magee said. “After the tremendous effort my horse turned in last week after the mishap at the start, he gave me the confidence and showed me that we can win the Isle final.”

Hop Sing, named after the Chinese cook from the hit television western, Bonanza, starts from post one in the Isle final and is the 8/5 second choice in the race for driver Wally Hennessey. The richest ($118,340) and fastest (1:48.3 at the Meadowlands) pacer in harness racing this year, Hop Sing is on a three-race winning streak. His first time at Pompano Park saw him tie the track record for older geldings in 1:50.3 and then last week he not only bested He Wants It All, but rewrote the track mark in 1:50.2, the third fastest mile in the 42-year history of Pompano Park.

“The reason some horses are great ones is when they can dig in even after being looked in the eye and come back like Hop Sing did last week.” Said driver Wally Hennessey. “I wanted a good inside post position for the final because my horse can either control the pace or come from behind. It’s going to be a tough final Saturday with both these top horses going at it again. I hope the crowd liked last weeks great finish because I think it will be that exciting again.”

The 6th race $82,600 Mack Lobell final features the nations top trotter, Hellava Hush, who starts from post 3 and is the overwhelming 4/5 favorite for driver Tom Sells. A $1 million career winner, Hellava Hush is unbeaten in three starts this year, setting the all-age track record in the opening round of the series with a 1:53.3 triumph. Trained by Bill Gallagher and owned by Joseph Chnapko of Livingston, NJ, Hellava Hush has beaten his opponents by a total of ten lengths so far this season. His main rivals will be $563,000 career winner Justice Hall (post one) and Dunkster (post 7), who has won four of his six starts this year and was a 14-time winner in 2005.

Hearty Fellow is the standout in the 3rd race $50,000 Red Bow Tie Invitational Pace for Florida-breds. He captured the event in 2005 as he went on to win ten times, all at the Pompano Park with earnings of $106,470 and never left the racetrack grounds. He starts from post one for driver Wally Hennessey. The six-year-old gelding is trained by Marc Aubin for the Amante Standardbreds Stable of Delray Beach. Also in the race is the 2004 Red Bow Tie winner, Swingin Glory (post 6).

Before the start of the first race Saturday there will be a special memorial service honoring longtime horseman, Dana Irving, who recently passed away at age 83. Irving was the breeder of the former world champion pacer Red Bow Tie. His widow and grandson will present the trophy in the Red Bow Tie race.