by Steve Wolf, Senior Director of Marketing, Pompano Park
Pompano Beach, FL — Ultimate Sundance ($6.00) closed out his greatest season ever with his 15th victory of the year in capturing the Open Handicap Trot at Pompano Park on Wednesday in 1:55.4. Driven by Bruce Ranger for owner Mike Biel of Ft. Lauderdale, Ultimate Sundance started from post six in the seventh race $9,000 feature and was able to grind it out to the lead past Muscle Boss Vita (Terry Morgan) by the opening quarter-mile in :27.2. From that point Ranger kept Ultimate Sundance on the lead past the half in :57.1. Then in the backstretch, Damon Runyon (Wally Hennessey) came first-over and started to grind his way to challenge the leader by the three-quarters in 1:27. But as they came down the stretch, Ultimate Sundance dug-in and was game to the finish, holding off both Muscle Boss Vita and Lori Louise (Kevin Wallis) to win by a half length. Ultimate Sundance closes out his 2004 season with 37 starts, 15 wins, 10 seconds and four third place finishes, with a career high earnings for the year at $114,395 and lifetime earnings of $257,089. Hilarious Margie and driver Joe Pavia, Jr. posted their fourth straight victory in the second race pace, leading from start to finish in a romp by eight and three-quarter lengths. Trained by George Napolitano, Jr. and owned by the Rosebud Racing Stable of Hicksville, New York, it was the sixth win this year for Hilarious Margie. The five-year-old mare by Village Connection covered the one mile race in 1:55.2. Cross Wind (Kevin Wallis) was second with Simply Honey (Wally Hennessey) third.