by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Just A Bee, with regular pilot Mike Micallef handling the lines, swept up from far back to post a 17-1 upset victory in the $15,000 third leg of the Isle Casino Pompano Park Late Closer for Mares on Saturday night, February 27, with the mile clocked in 1:52.2.

The 8-year-old daughter of Mr Feelgood, trained by Micallef for owners Anita Micallef, John Mc Goff and Greg Heath, took advantage of a sizzling early pace to roll by her competition in the lane and score a 3-1/4 length win over Godiva Seelster, with Wally Hennessey driving, while pacesetting Totally Rusty, driven by Tom Jackson, was third after sizzling through panels of :26.1, :54.3 and 1:23.1.

Strut My Stuff finished fourth while Pertty Music picked up the nickel in the bulky field of 11.

The 1-5 tote-board favorite, Velocity Vespa, left looking for the top spot but could never cope with the hot fractions on the outside and finished eighth.

In a postrace interview, driver Micallef said, “Sometimes the best laid plans just don’t work out. This time, the best laid plans certainly didn’t work out but it all came out in the wash at the end of the mile.

“I had planned to follow George (Napolitano, Jr. with Velocity Vespa) but it seemed like everything inside was leaving, so I had to take back.

“My mare really seemed like she wanted to grab on midway through the mile and, when I saw :54 and a piece, I thought we had a chance to get a good piece of it tonight.

“She was really motoring around the final turn and, the further we got along, the better I felt.”

Just A Bee won for the 44th time career-wise, sending her career earnings of $300,681.

Since Micallef claimed the mare in September 0f 2014 for $12,000, she has won 24 times and close to $200,000.

Her mutuel of $36.00 is the largest since she has been under Micallef’s care and comes off of a 3-1 win a week ago in the same class.

Also, Just A Bee’s win triggered two carryovers, one in the fourth race pentafecta and the other in the Pick-5.

The pentafecta has a carryover of $1,779 while the Pick-5 has a carryover of $1,355. The Pick-4 also went unscathed on Saturday night with a $3,484 carryover spawning a $25,000 instant guarantee.

Finally, Pompano Park’s Super Hi-5 finale has a carryover of $28,872.38.