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

Pompano Beach, FL — Pompano Park’s all-time winningest driver, Bruce Ranger, continues to close in on his 7,000th career victory, winning four races on Wednesday, September 19, including the Open Handicap Trot and one of four divisions of the Florida Sunshine Stakes.

Ranger, who is now 66 wins away from win number 7,000, started off the night winning the second race $8,978 division of the Florida Sunshine Stakes for 2-year-old trotting colts with Southern Rain ($4.00) by five open lengths over Trot Monster (Wally Hennessey), with Cracker Jame (Kevin Wallis) third.

It was the second straight win and fifth victory in seven career starts for Southern Rain, a gelded son of Wewering, who is trained by Mike Deters for owner Mark Rorabeck of Nutrioso, Arizona.

Leading from start to finish was not as easy at it looked for Southern Rain as Trot Monster and Hennessey came first-over in the backstretch, raced neck and neck with Southern Rain past the three-quarters and coming down the stretch with the duo ten lengths up on the rest of the field, Trot Monster went off-stride midway down the stretch. Southern Rain’s only two losses this year were to Trot Monster.

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith

Guy Gets Girl and driver Bruce Ranger win the $14,000 Open Handicap Trot in 1:57.1.

Ranger came right back and won the third race $14,000 Open Handicap Trot with Guy Gets Girl ($4.00). Leaving from post eight, Ranger was able to send Guy Gets Girl right to the front and they never looked back, winning by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:57.1 over Talk About Me (Mickey McNichol) and Cellebrity Force (Gerry Kazmaier).

Ranger, of Pompano Beach, trains and owns Guy Gets Girl, who posted his eighth win this year.

In the $5,158 division of the Sunshine Stakes for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings, Blake Island and driver Wally Hennessey wired the field and blew the competition away at the three-quarters, drawing off and winning by eight open lengths in 2:01, the last quarter in :27.4. Timer (Bruce Ranger) was second with Smothers (Tom Sells) third.

It was the second straight win and third victory in five starts this year for Blake Island, a 3-year-old gelded son of Wewering, trained by Kim Sears and bred and owned by John Campagnuolo of Loxahatchee.

Driver Mickey McNichol was able to lead from start to finish with Indigo Swirl in the $5,124 first division of the Sunshine Stakes for 2-year-old trotting fillies. Indigo Swirl won by 1-1/4 lengths in 2:06 for her fifth win in seven starts for trainer Tom Harmer and the Ciara Stable and Michael Polansky. Indigo Swirl is sired by Crown Can. Suntan Beauty (Jay Sears) was second with Discreet Encounter (Bruce Ranger) third.

The $5,199 second division saw trainer/driver Tom Haughton and Happy Bee trot wire-to-wire to win by three-quarters of a length in 2:05. It was the first career victory for the daughter of Guided Speed, who is owned by the D.C.L.D. Stable of New York.

The isle casino & racing at Pompano Park is open for live racing three nights a week, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.