by Frank Salive, publicity director, Isle Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — A familiar face at Ontario venues such as Georgian Downs, Western Fair, Grand River, and Hanover will soon be coming to you instead from The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park in South Florida.

“I visited here three years ago and really liked it so I thought I’d ship down a couple of horses and give it a try like so many Canadians before me have done,” says 51-year-old horseman Lormer McClure of Orangeville, Ontario. “I came to see the races here last Saturday night shortly after arriving. Even though Monday’s high temperature was only 68 degrees I’m really glad I came.”

McClure says he’s brought a pair of trotters with him to South Florida. They are 2-year-old filly Luvumeanit, a 2010 competitor in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series, and 4-year-old trotting gelding Southwind Vavoom. Lormer owns both in partnership with John McClure of Georgetown, Ontario. Perhaps his best known recent starter, pacing mare Shazanorthernbell, has been left back in Ontario in the care of his son Bob.

“If all goes according to plan I’ll have them both trained up and ready to enter within two weeks” Lormer says. “I’ll drive them both in their first starts here and see how things go, mostly to see how I might fit into the driving colony here. If I decide not to keep on driving them here it sure is good to know that established and talented guys from back in Canada like Dan Clements, Doug Brown, and Wally Hennessey are all here if I decide to go that way.”

A decision is pending on whether he’ll be expanding his stable size, and in the meantime McClure is taking full advantage of the lifestyle that goes with re-locating to South Florida.

“Oh yes, the golf clubs are already out and I plan to test my game at the courses that people on the backstretch are telling me about,” Lormer says. “On Monday I was talking with friends back in Ontario and heard about the cancellations of the programs at Western Fair and Northfield Park in addition to school closings due to snow. I’m already glad I made the move to try my hand at Pompano.”

Big draw day on Tuesday

The post position draw will be conducted on Tuesday for the 2010 Super Night at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park. The Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association Breeders Stake Championships will showcase the best of the State-bred program this Saturday night, Dec. 11. The eight finals will be contested for total purses of close to $300,000.

The only 2-year-old performer still in the hunt for a $100,000 bonus is trotting filly Seeking Jeanie. The bonus is offered by the FSBOA to the connections of rookie performers that sweep through undefeated in all four Fall Series events.

This is the first week of the new racing schedule through to May 31, 2011 which sees live programs turn to the gate each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday evening at 7:05 p.m. (EST). The only deviation from the schedule is the addition of a program on Thursday, Dec. 23 with no live racing on Saturday, Dec. 25 at The Winter Capital of Harness Racing.