Pro-Am ends in dead-heat

Pompano Beach, Florida…March 5, 2017…Drachan Hanover, superbly rated by Wally Hennessey, took top harness racing honors in Pompano Park's $12,000 Open Pace on Sunday night (March 5), using a :26.4 finale to hold off the surging Sing For Me George, with Kevin Wallis in the sulky, to score by a neck in 1:52.

King Of The Crop, driven by Dave Ingraham, was third, 2½ lengths away, while Pointsman finished fourth. Rocky's Z Tam picked up the nickel in the field scratched down to seven.

At the outset, Sing For Me George left with alacrity along with Drachan Hanover and these two went at it before the latter took command right at the first marker around turn one.

From there, Drachan Hanover put up numbers of :27 and, despite a 25-30 miles-per-hour wind at their backs, a well-rated :56.2 half with only nominal movement developing from the back of the pack.

On the backside and into the wind, Drachan Hanover reached the third station in 1:25.1 with Sing For Me George sitting chilly in the pocket and Fritzie Pic Up Man outside, but still 2¼ lengths away and not gaining further.

In the lane, Drachan Hanover was in full flight, as was Sing For Me George, but the latter fell a neck short as Drachan Hanover's 26.4 finale was good enough to get the job done.

After the event, driver Wally Hennessey said, "that wind was really something out there. I think the key tonight was the breather we got in the second quarter and then nobody really wanting to commit during the third quarter with the wind in our face.

"In the lane, I thought the wind might sweep us off our feet because we were flying home.

"Drachan (Hanover) is a very good horse and does very well on the front end, so his performance wasn't really a surprise to me."

Trained my Marcel Barrieau for owners Kenneth Rankin and Lloyd Maclean, this five year-old son of Jereme's Jet won for the second time this semester to push his 2017 bankroll to $16,440. Lifetime, Drachan Hanover has 14 wins in 58 starts, good for $360,417 to go along with his 1:50.1 mark set at Pompano last season.

As the 3 to 2 second choice, Drachan Hanover paid $5.00 to win.

In other weekend action, the Florida Amateur Driving Club Pro-Am was contested on Saturday night and ended in a dead-heat with each team having 63 points at the conclusion of the three race competition.

Team Tetrick, led by Tim Tetrick, driving on behalf of New Vocations, got the upper hand early over Team Miller, headed by Dave Ingraham, subbing for David Miller (traffic problems on Florida's Turnpike), by winning the first event with Tony Dinges' Wire Me Cash and putting his team up 23 to 19.

Tetrick came back to complete the early daily double by guiding Dennis Whittemore's New Scent to a handy win, helping put Team Tetrick up by a seemingly insurmountable 49 to 35 margin.

In the final leg, Whittemore, himself, guided his own Lucas Hall to his first win of the year and, with team captain Ingraham finishing second with B Cor Thomas, the Miller team won that third and final leg 28 to 14, thereby the tie.

Florida Amateur Driving Club President Dein Spriggs was joined in the winner's circle by members of the F.A.D.C. as equal checks in the amount of $2,000 were distributed for Tetrick's charity, New Vocation, and Miller's designated beneficiary, the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The contributions vaulted the club's donation over the $180,000 mark plateau as all driver's donate their driving fees to charity.

Said Tetrick in the winner's circle, "This sport has been very good to me and, of course, David, as well, and I am sure that I speak for both of us and echo his sentiments that we are both proud to be a part of this event.

"I know David is very sorry that he couldn't be here with us tonight but, on the other hand," Tetrick laughed, "it lets me have my name first on next year's trophies!

"It's a great event the Amateur drivers put on and I admire their generosity for the good of our sport."

Racing continues on Monday night with a Pick-6 carryover of $2,448 and a $10,000 guaranteed pool for the Pick-4, conducted on races six through nine.

First post is set for 7:20 p.m.

by John Berry for Pompano Park