by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — With October being “National Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” Pompano Park hosted “Think Pink” night on Saturday (Oct. 7) with a celebrity bicycle race, a live trackside auction, two $15,000 Florida Sales Stakes and a $10,000 Open Handicap Pace.

With attendance up 35.5% from the similar date one year ago, “Think Pink” night raised over $12,000 with 100% of the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.

Bruce Ranger, who has won 6,549 races during his career, got another victory – this one on a bicycle – as Pompano Park hosted Think Pink night in cooperation with the American Cancer Society.

The “big race” of the night was a bicycle race featuring radio icons Rick Shaw and Donna Davis of Majic 102.7 FM, Jennifer Wylde of Big 105.9 FM, Troy Stradford of Sports Talk 790 AM, Channel 7’s weatherwomen Elita Loresca and Pompano drivers Bruce Ranger and Wally Hennessey.

Though former Miami Dolphin Troy Stradford appeared to be the heavy favorite, it was Bruce Ranger who pulled off the victory in the one-eighth mile event, upsetting the mighty Stradford by open lengths in :27.4. Rick Shaw was third.

“This was one of my most important triumphs,” said Ranger. “In fact, anything that helps bring awareness to — and a cure for — breast cancer is important.”

Among the auction items offered were the bicycles ridden in the race — and then autographed by — the celebrities and a set of Bruce Ranger autographed colors.

The top price for a bicycle was $500, which went to Ray Talerico of the Comedy Hill Racing Stable. Ranger’s colors brought a $450 bid from Lou Haskell.

Pompano Park’s Special Events Coordinator Debbie Schaut was instrumental in putting together the entire night’s festivities and said, “Yes, a lot of late nights were spent putting together the ‘Think Pink’ night but, if it saves even one life, it was well worth the effort.”

Now on to the racing action.

The F.S.B.O.A. Sale Stake for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings was split into two $15,000 divisions with Okeechobeescooter and Ace Mactavish home first in their respective divisions.

Okeechobeescooter, the Amante Standardbreds’ Scoot Outa Reach colt, picked a great time to break his maiden by scoring a gate-to-wire win for Dave Ingraham in 1:56.

Trained by Bob Williams, Jr., “Okee” blasted out of the gate to secure the lead before the first eighth mile and then was perfectly rated through panels of :29.1, :58.4 and 1:27.1 before sprinting home in :28.4 to hit the wire 1-3/4 lengths the best of D’Artagnan, who was handled by Bruce Ranger and rallied from last with a quarter to go to garner the runner-up spot. Skip teamed up with Matt Kakaley to get third.

As mentioned, it was the first purse win for Okeechobeescooter in eight starts (he did have a qualifying win in 2:00.3) and nearly doubled his earnings to $15,721.

The highly touted Ace Mactavish kept his hopes alive for the $100,000 bonus (or share thereof) with an effortless 1:55.2 win for Wally Hennessey. His margin of victory was 3-3/4 lengths over the pacesetting Scoot For Glory (Tom Sells). Primo’s Hot Wire, with Matt Kakaley driving, finished third.

Ace Mactavish won for the ninth time in a row and sent his bounty to $42,601 for owners Rod Lorenzo and Souren Hovsepian of Deerfield Beach, Florida.

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith photos

Eleven A M, driven by Bruce Ranger, turned the tables on arch-rival Welu’s Dreamboat on Saturday with a win in 1:51.

In the $10,000 Open Handicap Pace, Eleven A M, who lost by a slender nose to Welu’s Dreamboat one week ago, turned the tables on that rival by winning for Bruce Ranger in 1:51, a new lifetime mark for the 4-year-old. His winning margin was a nose. Rickards Ed finished third in the mile.

Ranger got the garden trip with Eleven A M behind Welu’s Dreamboat, handled by Anthony Napolitano, who blazed through fractions of :26.3, :54.1 and 1:22.2 before succumbing to Eleven A M in the very last stride. Matt Kakaley’s Rickard’s Ed also put in a game performance to garner third money, 1-1/4 lengths back of the top two.

For Eleven A M, owned by the Berry Stables of Staten Island, New York, it was his seventh win in 29 starts and sent his lifetime bounty just a shade under $300,000.

Finally, I’ve Got The Power tried his luck outside of the Florida bred events and got a rousing drive from Daryl Bier to score in 1:54.1 for the Keisers Oberman Stables and Rod Lorenzo. Lover Boy Le Ru, another Florida bred, was a neck back in second for Dave Ingraham while Hearty Fellow, yet another Florida bred, finished third for Marc Aubin. Completing the superfecta was the only other Florida bred in the race, Stylish Glory (Anthony Napolitano).

I’ve Got The Power, a 3-year-old colt by Signed ‘N Sealed, won for the 16th time in 19 lifetime starts and sent his earnings to $90,588.