by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Mach It A Par, perfectly handled by owner Dan Clements, took top honors at Pompano Park on Tuesday night (Dec. 1) in the $11,000 Open Handicap Pace for fillies and mares.

The 5-year-old daughter of Mach Three led from first long stride to last and stopped the timer in 1:52.1 for her third win in her last four starts and 12th success of the year. Stucklikeglue and Rick Plano teamed up for the place honors, 1-3/4 lengths away, while Sandysgoldenhour finished third for Jason Dillander. Wild Wanda finished fourth in the mile while Classic Carpet, starting from the outside eight post, picked up the final award.

Skip Smith photo

Mach It A Par, driven by owner Dan Clements, scored a handy win in Pompano Park’s Open Pace for the ladies on Tuesday.

At the start, Mach It A Par seemed to push the starting gate out of her way and clocked panels of :27.4, :56.1 and 1:24.2 before sealing the issue with a :27.2 finale and without an anxious moment during her journey.

In a post-race interview, driver Dan Clements said, “She was in a very good spot tonight with the mid-pack post and she’s a handy thing and just does anything asked of her. She has won here on and off the pace and really had a great week for the gentleman who helps me to no end, Renaldo Morales III.

“Tonight, I just let her do what she wanted to do and that kind of was that. She did this all on her own. All I did was steer tonight. I am blessed to have her.”

The victory pushed Mach It A Par’s seasonal earnings to $82,547 and this win — her 18th lifetime — pushed her career bounty to $119,449. Mach It A Par, the heavy 2-5 toteboard favorite, paid $2.80 to win.

Other mares in the spotlight on Tuesday night were Pertty Music and Jinxy’s Delight.

Pertty Music, handled by owner Ed Hensley for trainer Ashleigh Hensley, returned to the racing wars after a six month hiatus in a conditioned event for mares and looked every bit like her old self in scoring a handy 2-1/2 length win over Voluminous (Rick Plano) and Jets Are On (Wally Hennessey) in 1:52.2 — this after a long journey outside and “double-bubbled” vying for the lead into the final turn.

This 5-year-old daughter of Jereme’s Jet scored her 20th lifetime victory — sixth this year in only 16 starts — to push her lifetime bounty to $268,822 of which $55,575 has been accomplished this shortened semester. Pertty Music was the second choice in the wagering pool at 3-1 and paid $8.20 to her faithful.

Jinxy’s Delight, a 6-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight, made her Pompano Park debut a winning one for owner-trainer-driver John MacDonald with a very sharp, grinding forward journey, finally reaching the top spot turning for home and holding firm down the stretch for a 1-3/4 length win in 1:52.3, equaling her lifetime best.

In scoring her fourth victory in a row — the last three over Balmoral Park’s one mile oval — Jinxy’s Delight earned her sixth win of the year and sent her 2015 earnings to $34,138. She recently went over the $150,000 plateau in lifetime bounty and left the winner’s circle this night with career bounty of $153,570. She paid $4.40 to her multitude of followers.

Finally, Pompano Park’s pentafecta went unscathed on Tuesday night and now has a carryover of $5,097 and an “as yet undetermined guaranteed pool” going into the next racing program on Saturday. Post time is 7:30 p.m.