by Frank Salive, publicity director, Isle Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — You can’t ask a horse to do much more than win all of their starts and take a life’s record in a single month. For those achievements 7-year-old trotting mare Ornellaia Dream and her groom, Joan Uszak, were an easy and overwhelming choice for the February Horse and Groom of the Month awards at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park.

In the monthly ceremony before the third race of the March 26 card at the South Florida venue, Uszak received the monthly cash award to the groom of the winning horse as selected by the Florida chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association.

Skip Smith photo

Jean Emerson, Kathleen Dempsey, Joan Uszak, Fred Segal, John Berry and Rosie Huff take part in the Horse and Groom of the Month awards for February.

“Ornellaia Dream is a real sweetheart to work with, not nearly as fussy as the other good mare Feel L A that we have in our barn,” Uszak says. “This award is really well timed, too, since the trainer I work for, Gaston Glaude, is dealing with a health issue right now. He’s a true gentleman and a great horseman and has a real niche for the small but productive stable of trotters we campaign here at Pompano.”

Against $8,000 claiming company last month, Ornellaia Dream swept to victory in all three starts with Tom Sells in the bike. The daughter of Fortuna Winner-Ornellaia topped off February with a life’s record 1:57 performance on Feb. 29.

In addition to Feel L A, the Gaston Glaude stable also includes Pompano stalwart performers such as Duke Of Stormont and P C Moonshine.

“I’ve been grooming horses for almost 50 years since I started in Ohio back in 1964,” Uszak told Pompano and USHWA’s John Berry in a live trackside TV interview. “One of my best known bosses along the way was Ralph Baldwin for Castleton Farms. In that era I groomed Snow Speed who was the only horse to defeat the legendary Nevele Pride three times. I’m here at 5 a.m. every day, and if we’re in a late race it means being here until about midnight but you just have to love what you do and help the horses relax and enjoy their work. Those have been the keys to the career I’ve had and am still enjoying.”

Following the March 27 program, Tuesday cards are dropped from the schedule in April. Post time in April and May is 7:15 p.m. (EDT) every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at The Winter Capital of Harness Racing. Free race night live streaming, handicapping selections by Hall of Famer John Berry, the replays archive and much more is available in the ‘racing’ tab at www.theislepompanopark.com.