Mach It A Par makes it two in a row

Pompano Beach, FL…March 16, 2015…Mach It A Par made it two in a row at Pompano Park on Monday night, eking out a very narrow decision in the $10,000 top pace for harness racing mares.

The five year-old daughter of Mach Three, driven by owner Dan Clements, upset the heavily favored Pertty Music, handled by Ed Hensley in 1:52.4, the official margin being a nose.

Mach Me Not, teaming up with Wally Hennessey, finished a very fast closing third after pacing the fastest final panel of her quintet–:27–while just a half length off the winner.

Always Dee One was fourth, five lengths away, while De Vins Girl finished fifth.

Mach It A Par, off as second choice at 3 to 1, was away alertly but relented to the 1 to 2 favorite, Pertty Music, around the opening turn as the latter took the field to the initial quarter in a very mild :28.1 with Always Dee One third, Mach Me Not next and De Vins Girl acting as the caboose with positions remaining stagnant through a soft half of :57.1.

Heading into the final turn, Mach Me Not pulled from fourth forcing the hand of Mach It A Par, who darted out of the pocket with lightning speed, overtaking Pertty Music in a flash and opening up a daylight lead thundering for home after a three-quarters clocked in 1:25.2.

In the lane, Mach It A Par began drifting out forcing Hensley to make a decision on whether to go outside or inside and he chose the latter route to try and gnaw in on the leader–the re-rally falling short by that aforementioned nose.

In a post race interview, driver Dan Clements said, "This mare does have very sharp speed and can turn it on in a heartbeat…like she did tonight when I asked her around the final turn. She can catch 'em flat-footed. She was drifting out in the lane and still paced her last quarter in :27.1 or so. To tell you the truth, I didn't know if we won or not as Eddie's mare (Pertty Music) kind of got in another gear late herself."

Trained by Renaldo Morales III for Clements, Mach It A Par won for the second time to go along with a second and two thirds in five starts with seasonal bounty of $15,200. The win also pushed her lifetime bankroll over the $50,000 in just 22 lifetime starts–$52,102 to be exact.

Trainer Morales, by the way, now sports a lofty UTRS over .570 for the meet with a scorecard of 22-15-4 in 55 starts.

Mach It A Par paid $8.20 to win.

Another highlight on the card was the performance of the 13 year-old trotter Bit O Victory, achieving his 50th lifetime victory on Monday night with a 1:56 score in an $8,000 claiming event.

Making a sharp quarter move for Kevin Wallis after the :28 opener, this altered son of Mr. Vic carved out subsequent panels of :56.3 and 1:26.2 en route to a 4 1/2 length victory over Nomad (Rick Plano) with Thirtyeightspecial (Mark O'Mara) third.

Now owned by Denis Goyette along with trainer Norm Dessureault, Bit O Victory has recorded victories at six different tracks throughout North America and for six different trainers and 10 different drivers in a career measuring 12 seasons and 263 lifetime starts. He took his 1:55 mark last year as a 12 year-old and now has lifetime bounty of $408,372.

Off as the 9 to 5 favorite this night, Bit O Victory paid $5.80 to win.

In the Monday night edition of the Super Hi-5, the 20 cent wager again produced multiple winners with the carryover for Wednesday's card now well over $45,000.

Post time for the mid-week card is 7:30 p.m.

by John Berry for Pompano Park