by Steve Wolf, Director of Marketing, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, Florida – January 30, 2004 – Harness trainer/driver Tom Harmer, 53, scored his 3,000th career victory late Thursday night at Pompano Park Harness Track in winning the 7th race pace with Star Role.

Tom Harmer

Harmer, from Willowbrook, IL, winters most seasons at Pompano Park The horses he has driven during his career have won more than $18 million. His greatest horse was world champion Falcon Seelster, who won 36 of 51 starts and earned $1.1 million in three years of racing, 1984 to 1986 and had a record of 1:51 on a half-mile track.

Harmer’s top season as a driver was 1978 when he won 246 races. His richest season was 1987 when the horses he drove won $1.7 million.

Harmer was in winning form the very next morning at the qualifying races Friday with the 8th race featuring five horses prepping for the $250,000 Isle of Capri Pacing Series that begins on February 14. Leaving from post eight with Fox Valley Devious, a $165,000 winner last year, Harmer cut fractions of :29.2, :58.3, 1:27.1 before pulling away in the stretch to win by four open lengths in 1:55.3. Also in the race were The Globe, Dee Magic Man, Champlain and last year’s Isle Pace final winner, Corporate Rrraider.

It rained most of the night at Pompano Park causing for a very sloppy track. But the rain did not hamper Up Front Lucy ($3.80), who was able to win the 7th race $6,500 feature pace for fillies and mares with a 1:56.2 triumph.

But this week Up Front Lucy and driver Richard Macomber, Jr. did not live up to her name as she did in her last two starts. Prior to tonight the five-year-old mare by Arturo had wired the field in 1:57 and 1:54.3, winning by a total of 11 and three-quarter lengths. But tonight, perhaps due to the inclement weather, Macomber drove Up Front Lucy from off the pace, sweeping three-wide on the final turn and then pulling away for a three length victory. ICU Miss (Kevin Wallis) was second with Let’s Dance Sis (George Napolitano, Jr.) third.

Trained and co-owned by Dick Macomber with Ed Mullinax of Florida and Ohio respectively, Up Front Lucy is now unbeaten in 2004 with two wins.

The biggest payoff of the rainy night came in the 10th race trot when 37-1 Classy Rova and owner/trainer/driver Raymond Gringras won in 2:01.1 and paid $76.80, $30.80 and $9.80 across the board and teamed with second place finisher at 32-1, Roll-Away Lucky (Michael Paolano) and 15-1 third place finisher Fester The Pester (George Napolitano, Jr.) the 7-2-9 trifecta combination paid $9,335.10.