by Steve Wolf, senior director of racing operations, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — It was billed as a slugfest between the young newcomer, JK Big Shot, taking on older rivals in the $10,000 Open Handicap Pace at Pompano Park on Saturday (Dec. 30) and the youngster ended up feeling the bitter taste of defeat as Welu’s Dreamboat ($32.60) scored an upset win for driver Anthony Napolitano.

Welu’s Dreamboat (#3) and driver Anthony Napolitano upset the field in the $10,000 Open Handicap Pace.

The 11th race main event started out with a slugfest between Honest Lawyer (Daryl Bier) and Doctor Viagra (Joe Pavia, Jr.) with Honest Lawyer stuffing Doctor Viagra into the two hole at the opening quarter in a speedy :26.4.

It was then driver Brett Miller who came charging on the outside with the 3-year-old colt, JK Big Shot, and they took command and led the field to the half in :56.3. But Pavia was not content sitting in third place along the rail so he pulled on the right line and sent Doctor Viagra first-over with Eleven A M (Bruce Ranger) following their outside flow to the three-quarters in 1:25.1.

Then on the final turn Ranger came on the outside with Eleven A M and looked JK Big Shot right in the eye and started to move on by and take the lead coming down the stretch. But that was short lived as Anthony Napolitano and 15-1 longshot Welu’s Dreamboat had followed Ranger and came on in the stretch to pass them and then hold off Star Role and driver Wally Hennessey to win by a head in 1:53.3. Eleven A M was third.

It was the 11th win in 2006 for Welu’s Dreamboat, a 5-year-old gelding by Camluck, who is trained by Jacques Dupuis and is owned by the Maddy J Racing Stable of Wellington.

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith photos

Family members, friends, well-wishers and horsemen take part in a memorial service for longtime prominent horse owner Paul Keiser.

Saturday’s featured race was named the Paul Keiser Memorial in memory of the longtime Pompano Park owner who passed away November 6 at age 72. Over the years Mr. Keiser headed the Keisers-Oberman Stable that owned 72 horses, many of them Florida-breds including two outstanding sire stakes champions in I’ve Got The Power and Amethyst. He owned more than 150 horses during his career. His main trainers at Pompano Park were Rod Lorenzo and Bruce Ranger.

Bing N ($60.20, $17.00, $5.60), a 29-1 longshot, upset the field in the sixth race $7,200 pace, winning by 1-3/4 lengths for driver Kevin Wallis in 1:54.3. Cost Effective (Joe Pavia, Jr.) was second with Northern Stealth (Mickey McNichol) third.

It was the fifth win this year for Bing N, an 8-year-old gelding from New Zealand who is trained and co-owned by Jim Mattison with William Mack, Jr. and Louis and Lisa Diffenback.

Driver Wally Hennessey was on a roll Saturday as he won four of the races on the program.

Pompano Park will be closed on Sunday, New Year’s Eve. The track will be open for simulcasting only on Monday, New Year’s Day, starting at 4:00 p.m. Live racing and poker resume on Wednesday, January 3.