by Steve Wolf, Director of Marketing, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — World champion trotter Chucaro Ahijuna, the Spanish-speaking horse, goes for his 15th win of the season in the seventh race Open Handicap at Pompano Park on Wednesday.

His trainer/driver, Paul Bernardo, actually speaks Spanish to the seven-year-old Argentinean-bred stallion, and pokes fun with some of the other drivers.

“This summer in Canada I had Paul MacDonell drive Chucaro Ahijuna,” Bernardo said. “And after I explained to him about the horse and he was ready to go on the track I asked Paul to make sure he spoke Spanish to the horse. I told him it was the only way the horse would respond to him.”

“Well, Paul just dropped his jaw and looked at me in shock. I had a pretty good laugh at his expense. And Paul went on to win the race and set a lifetime mark of 1:53.3 with him at Woodbine Racetrack and he said that the horse was great, but the look on his face before he went out was priceless!”

“I do speak Spanish to Chucaro Ahijuna,” Bernardo explained. “It’s the only language he had heard for the first five years of his life. He’s a very smart horse and has totally adapted to racing here in the United States, whether you speak Spanish or English to him now. But I like to have some fun with him when I can get away with it.”

Chucaro Ahijuna now ranks sixth in victories among trotters in North America this year with 14 wins in just 18 starts and he is the winningest trotter on the continent with under 20 starts. Earlier this year Chucaro Ahijuna, which means “Wild Indian” in Spanish, set the world record as the fastest double-gaited horse ever. He won as a pacer in 1:51.4 and on the trot in 1:53.3. He was Argentina’s fastest and winningest pacer with 33 wins in two years of racing before coming to the United States.

“I plan on racing him a few more weeks,” Bernardo said. “Then I want to rest him a little and then get him ready for the $125,000 Mack Lobell Trotting Series at Pompano Park in February.”

On Wednesday, Chucaro Ahijuna will start from post seven and he is the 5-2 favorite after last week’s impressive victory. Parked on the outside the entire one mile race, Bernardo was able to urge Chucaro Ahijuna on in the stretch to nip pacesetter Ultimate Sundance by a nose in 1:56.2, despite racing an extra 65 feet on the outside.

His main rival on Wednesday, track record holder Ultimate Sundance, starts alongside Chucaro Ahijuna in post six for driver/trainer Bruce Ranger and they are the 3-1 second choice in the race.

Also entered are former track record holder Damon Runyon (post eight), 12-race winner Midgie (post five) and You Toe The Bike (post three), who last week scored a lifetime best 1:56.4 victory, leading from start to finish.