by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Jailhouse Jessica, handled by Bruce Ranger, scored a repeat victory in Pompano Park’s $12,000 Open Trot for mares on Sunday (March 1).

Skip Smith photo

Jailhouse Jessica scored a repeat victory in Pompano Park’s top Open Trot for mares on Sunday night.

The 5-year-old daughter of Jailhouse Jesse, claimed just six weeks ago for $7,200 and now known for her devastating stretch surges, used different tactics this night in wiring her competition in 1:55.3. She’s All In, driven by Rick Plano rallied for second, 3- 1/2 lengths away, while Little Bitty Lies, with Lewayne Miller in the sulky, finished third. Saint Patty’s Doll, prominent as the gate opened, finished fourth while Barbies Korvette picked up the final award in the sextet.

Trained by Dale Gilmour for Karma Racing, Inc., Jailhouse Jessica took command right after the bell rang and clocked fractions of :29.1, :58.2 and 1:27.1 before effortlessly strolling home in :28.3 to seal the issue.

In a post race interview, driver Bruce Ranger said, “There didn’t seem to be much happening when the gate opened and I sure didn’t want to take a chance of being last if the fractions turned out to be soft, so I sent her and she made the top rather easily. The fractions turned out to be right for her and she had plenty left in the lane.”

Jailhouse Jessica now has three wins and a second in five starts since her “claim to fame” and $18,498 of her $18,813 have come in those five starts. She has also taken a new lifetime mark of 1:54.2 in the process, that set one week ago, also in the main event for trotting mares. She’s banked $78,845 lifetime. As the 4-5 public choice, Jailhouse Jessica paid $3.60 to win.

Also on the card was the $10,000 pace for $20,000-$25,000 claimers and JJ’s Doughnut extended his winning skein to four with a decisive win measuring 1-3/4 lengths for George Napolitano Jr. in 1:51.2, equaling his lifetime best.

The 8-year-old son of Yankee Cam, hot property on claims in his last three starts, left alertly from his outside seven post and tucked in fourth — briefly — before making a sharp move just past the opening quarter of :27.3 to the top and going on to break subsequent beams of :55.1 and 1:23.4 before rocking home in :27.3 to score over Remissionofsins, handled by Peter Wrenn. Premier and Rick Plano teamed up for show honors while One Lucky Dream finished a neck better than Machinist for fourth in the septet.

The only real battle for supremacy here was early on as Machinist and Remissionofsins both vied for the top spot with the latter achieving the top a step past the opener before yielding to the winner shortly thereafter.

After the race, driver George Napolitano, Jr. said, “This one is sharp — razor sharp — right now and this mile was almost the identical journey I had with him last week. You can drive a horse like this with confidence and he justified that confidence tonight.”

As the 4-5 favorite, JJ’s Doughnut paid $3.80 to win and was once again, for the fourth straight week, claimed, this time for a tag of $24,000. Remissionofsins was also claimed out of the event as claiming continues at a record pace at the south Florida oval.

Owned coming into this race by Susan Oakes and trained by Chris Oakes, JJ’s Doughnut won for the sixth time in nine 2015 starts, good for $28,164. He has banked $149,153 lifetime.