Pompano Beach, FL – Toy’s For You, with Rick Plano handling the lines, used a devastating backside blitz from last to take charge around the final turn and go on to score a 3-1/4 length win in Pompano Park’s $14,200 Open Handicap Trot on Monday night (Jan. 17).

The 6-year-old gelded son of Airzoom Lindy, assigned the outside six post in this million-dollar field, broke the beam in 1:54 on a this cool south Florida night, pinning the defeat on Timon AS (Peter Wrenn) with Muscles For Life (Wally Hennessey), actually closing fastest of all, third. The Lionking AS was fourth while Anchors Away picked up the nickel in this classy sextet.

At the outset, Toy’s For You, a gate-to-wire winner last week in the slop, was unhurried and a length or so off the gate as Flagman zoomed off the wings into an early lead and posting an opening panel of :27.4 before yielding to Timon AS with The Lionking AS next followed by Muscles For Life and Anchors Away with Toy’s For Us last, some six lengths back.

Toy’s For You, driven by Rick Plano, scored his sixth win in eight tries on Monday night in Pompano Park’s Open Handicap Trot. Jessica Hallett photo.

Heading into turn two, Toy’s For You tilted to the outside as Tomin AS reached the half in a well rated :57. That’s where Toy’s For You began his backside blitz with that devastating binge that brought him along side the leader heading into the final bend and, shortly after, into an insurmountable lead once straightened away.

Said Plano after the race, “One chirp and he must’ve trotted his next eighth in 12 and a piece. He was really motoring!”

Indeed, he was, justifying his 4-5 favoritism.

Continuing, Plano said, “He’s one of the best horses I have ever been associated with…and I have been in this business a long, long time.”

Owned and trained by Plano, Toy’s For You, after a 12-win season in 2021, won for the second time in three starts this young semester sending his lifetime earnings over the $150,000 plateau, now at $154.854. He’s won six of eight starts since his arrival in Florida to go along with a lifetime mark of 1:52.2.

The $12,600 Open II Trot went to the 10-year-old veteran Celebrity Pegasus, driven by Wrenn.

This son of Andover Hall rallied late to nail the leading Wild And Crazy Guy (Hennessey) on the wire in 1:54.1 with the fastest closing Keystone Apache (David Miller) third, just a half length away. The 14-year-old warhorse Cantab Lindy was fourth while Cash Hit was fifth in this septet.

For Celebrity Pegasus, trained by Melanie Wrenn for owner Joshua Jay Graber, it was his 42nd career win, sending his lifetime bankroll to $469,935.

The 2-1 second choice paid $6.40 to win.

The $11,000 Open III Trot was annexed by Sooo Handsome, a stablemate of the aforementioned Toy’s For You, in 1:55.

The 9-year-old gelded son of Cash Hall, owned by Maryann Plano, followed live cover on the backside before storming into the lead once straightened away in the lane to score by 2 1/4 lengths over the pacesetting Mr Houdini (Miller) after that one clocked panels of :27, 56.4 and 1:25.3. Archibald (Fern Paquet Jr.) was third, another half length away while Trix And Stones was a fast closing fourth. Muskingum picked up the nickel in the field of seven.

For Sooo Handsome, it was his 47th career win pushing his lifetime earnings to $408,242. Off at 1-5, Sooo Handsome paid $2.60 to win.

Plano had a driving triple on the card, also scoring with Trashytonguetalker ($5.20) in a condition/optional claiming event.

In the “better for the bettor” department, the 50 cent Pick-6 paid $1,304.35, despite the fact that four odds-on winners kicked off the sequence.

Racing continues on Tuesday night with a competitive card featuring a $15,000 guaranteed pool (industry low 12-percent takeout) in the Pick-4 and a Super Hi-5 carryover of over $39,000.

Post time is set for 7:20 p.m.