by Steve Wolf, senior director of racing operations, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — The Isle Pompano Park will host its richest night of racing for the 2008 season this Saturday, October 25, with nearly $500,000 in purses for the Super Night of Champions. Post time is 7:25 p.m.

Eight of the races on the program will be Florida Breeders Stakes Finals for 2- and 3-year-old state-bred trotters and pacers. Starting at 6:00 p.m. that evening at the Grandstand entrance only there will be a free t-shirt giveaway to the first 1,000 customers to come in the door.

Three of the horses competing on Super Night have a chance to share in a special $100,000 bonus award if they can win their respective Breeders Stakes Finals. The Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association and the Isle Pompano Park sponsor the bonus award.

Leading the way towards the $100,000 bonus is the undefeated 2-year-old trotting sensation Whosgoinwhosstayin, who has won 11 straight races for co-owners Sophia Valkanoff and Linda Kakaley. Whosgoinwhosstayin drew post seven in the fifth race, $51,175 colt and gelding final and will be driven by Mickey McNichol.

Also eligible is Frank and Inge Smith’s top 2-year-old trotting filly Pearl Of Capri, who is on a nine-race winning streak. Pearl Of Capri starts from post two in the third race for a purse of $51,000. She will be driven by Dan Clements.

The third contender for the $100,000 bonus is the 2-year-old pacing filly Goldstar Rosie, who has won six of her seven lifetime starts for owners Tom Audley, Jamie Marra and Beth Levine. Goldstar Rosie drew the rail in the first race $64,350 final and will be driven by Dan Clements.

Another horse in the championship finals and on a track-record tying winning streak is the 3-year-old trotter Southern Rain, who will be going for his 13th straight win. That would tie him with You’re Next (2007) for the all-age track record for most consecutive wins. Bruce Ranger drives Southern Rain, who starts from post three in the $63,440 eighth race.

And last year’s 2-year-old champion Alice Springs heads the $61,988 3-year-old filly pace final. Undefeated in 11 starts in 2007, Alice Springs has only one loss this year and an amazing lifetime record of 17 wins in just 18 starts. Wally Hennessey will drive Alice Springs from post six in the sixth race.

Admission and general parking is free to the Isle Pompano Park.

Tweedle Dum wins Open Trot, may be done for the year

Former world and track record holder Tweedle Dum may have won Wednesday’s $14,000 Open Trot at the Isle Pompano Park, but may also be done racing for the remainder of the year due to an injury when crossing the finish line.

The fifth race feature started off with Battleshoe Victor and driver Anthony Napolitano out battling Gale Warning (Wally Hennessey) for command of the early lead, but by the opening quarter in :27.3, driver Wally Ross, Jr. had race favorite Tweedle Dum in gear on the outside and going to the lead.

By the half-mile pole in :56.1, Tweedle Dum was in command but in the backstretch driver Mickey McNichol came first-over with Brick, an 18-1 longshot, and they started to gain ground on the race leaders.

As they passed the three-quarter marker in 1:25.4, Brick kept pressing the pace on the outside and after a torrid stretch drive, Tweedle Dum was not to be denied and held game to the finish, winning by a neck over Brick in 1:54.4. Karpathos (Joe Pavia, Jr.) closed well to finish third.

It was just as Tweedle Dum was coming across the finish line that the horse seemed to miss a step and then broke stride after the wire.

“It looks to me like he injured his right hind leg,” said trainer Gordon Norris. “Which is bad because last year he injured his left hind. We will have to wait and see what the vet says but it does not look good.”

Tweedle Dum is an 8-year-old gelding by Star Challenge, from the BJ’s Mac mare Lady Mac. Diane Norris and Alfred Brotter own Tweedle Dum. He tied the world record for his age and gender in 2007 with a 1:53.2 mile, set the track record for most wins in a season, 21, in 2006 and is a career winner of 54 races with earnings of $328,000.