Ranger rolls a seven at Pompano
June 23, 2007,by Michael Costanzo, Public Relations Coordinator, Isle Pompano Park
POMPANO BEACH, Fla – The Fred Monteleone Stable LLC swept the featured pacing events at Pompano Park for the second consecutive weekend when capturing Saturday’s $18,000 Winners Over Handicap Pace with Paper Exchange, who gave driver Bruce Ranger his second of seven winners on the 10-race program.
Driven from post five by Ranger, Paper Exchange settled comfortably in the pocket and tracked race favorite Copper Color (Wally Hennessey) as that one showed the way through fractions of :27, :56.3, and 1:24.2.
Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith
PAPER EXCHANGE (#1), driven by Bruce Ranger, surges past COPPER COLOR (#5) to win the featured $18,000 Winners Over Handicap Pace at Pompano Park on Saturday in 1:51.1.
Copper Color entered the stretch with a 1-1/2 length advantage, but the gelding had no answer for Paper Exchange who was angled off the pylons midway down the lane and stormed to the front to prevail by a half-length in a seasonal best clocking of 1:51.1.
Paper Exchange, coupled in the wagering with Paper Luck, returned $5.60, $2.20, $2.20 for the victory. Copper Color brought in $2.40, $2.60 for second, while Dreamy Sonata (Andy Santeramo) paid $4.80 for third.
Saturday’s victory by Paper Exchange was the second straight for the Florida-bred son of Ditch Em, who prevailed in a $12,000 Winners Over Handicap last Saturday while stopping the timer in 1:52.1.
This week’s triumph pushed the gelding’s seasonal bankroll over the $48,000 mark.
The Fred Monteleone Stable also won the Friday feature at Pompano Park with Red White Blues, who repeated in the $15,500 Fillies and Mares Winners Over Handicap Pace to remain undefeated in South Florida. Last Saturday, the ownership prevailed in the featured Winners Over Handicap Pace with Paper Luck.
In addition to his victory in the feature, Ranger also visited the winner’s circle with Armbro Aviator ($4.00) in the opener and Hamilton ($4.20) in race five, before closing out the evening with four straight victories behind Flight of Glory ($2.60) in race seven, Buttler ($4.00) in race eight, Pinnacle ($3.00) in race nine, and Coronet Hanover ($2.60) in the finale.