New ‘Commander’ surfaces in Pompano’s top trot

Pompano Beach, FL — The ship from Pennsylvania to Florida didn’t seem to bother Commander K at all as the 5-year-old son of Ken Warkentin sped to a 1:56 score over six highly-regarded rivals in Wednesday’s $11,000 Open Trot at Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park.

Joe Pavia, Jr. guided the winner to the half-length victory over Credit Balance (Wally Hennessey) and I’ll Tell You What (Dave Ingraham). Combined lifetime earnings of the classy field exceeded $1 million.

Plucked by owner-trainer Luca Derrico from a $22,000 claiming race at Pocono Downs just over two months ago, Commander K is proving to be a very sound investment. With the $5,500 winner’s share of his first race in South Florida, the handsome gelding has already earned $18,000 of his price tag back for Derrico. Overall he has surpassed $80,000 in 2012 earnings and is approaching a quarter of a million dollars lifetime.

A co-featured $7500 Open II Trot was captured by Super Lotto (Tom Sells) by a neck margin over Salome Marvel (Fern Paquet, Jr.) and Hallin Cash (Dan Daley). The winner coasted to a pedestrian :59 half, then used a :29.2 final panel to close the deal in 1:58.1. It was the seventh win of 2012, matching his 2011 output, for the 7-year-old Florida-bred owned and trained by Mike Deters.

Drivers Rick Plano and Jason Dillander scored doubles on the nine-race program as did trainer Shawn Glassmeyer.

The nightly Pick-4 returned $1,566.20 despite the fact three of the four winners were first or second favorites of the betting public. Beginning Monday (Dec. 1), Pompano is joining forces with the USTA Strategic Wagering Program to guarantee a minimum $5,000 Pick-4 pool on each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mid-week program.

— Pompano Park Media Relations

Saratoga
Trainer Ken Anderson had a double on Wednesday night at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The New Jersey based conditioner has brought some members of his stable to the Spa in the past couple of months and enjoyed a strong Wednesday night. Pacers Bronson Blue Chip (American Ideal) and Leanback Coco (Cambest) each scored front running wins for Anderson on the 13-race card. Leanback Coco, an earner of more than $800,000 lifetime, was dropping in class into the $7,060 conditioned pace for fillies and mares. Brett Crawford put the classy mare on the early lead and they would not look back, drawing off late to prevail in 1:56.2. Bronson Blue Chip (Dan Cappello, Jr.) also moved out to the early lead on Wednesday. The 3-year-old pacer won for the third time in his four local starts, hanging on to stop the timer in 1:58.3.

Monticello
Billy “Zeke” Parker, Jr. reined six winners on the Monticello Raceway card and with those victories his career win total is now at 10,855, seventh best all-time in North America. Parker began the day reeling off winners in the first three races on the card. He won the first with B J Pacificia ($4.30) in 2:01.1 and then copped the second behind Twincreeks Jazz ($3.70) in 2:03.3 and the third with Heavenspearlygates ($7.50) in 2:02.4. After getting beat at the wire in race four with Famous Dude, Zeke then won the eighth race with trotter Chrome Finish ($4.40) in 2:02. But Zeke wasn’t done yet. He copped the 11th with Pictonians Souwest ($6.10) in 2:01.4 and win number six that day came behind Four Starz Pop Pop ($5.00) in 2:00.2. Zeke didn’t begin the 2012 racing season at the Mighty M until early March after he recuperated from prostate cancer surgery and at that point he spotted leader Jimmy Marohn, Jr. almost 70 wins but with his constant victories and a flurry of wins in the past three weeks, amazingly Parker is now just four wins behind (237-233) the talented son of veteran driver Jimmy Marohn. Parker has won 18 driving crowns at Monticello Raceway.