Hennessey scores a hat trick on FSBOA Super Saturday

Delray Beach, FL…Dec. 1, 2024…Florida’s stakes harness racing season concluded on Saturday (Nov. 30) with the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association (FSBOA) sponsored Florida Breeders Stakes Finals;

The eight race extravaganza for Florida eligible two-year-olds and three-year-olds was contested at Sunshine Meadows Equestrian Village with over $120,000 in purses honoring the memory of Jay Sears.

Trainer Nick Coblentz led the trainer’s parade with a grand slam, Wally Hennessey scored a hat trick while Amante Standardbreds led all owners with a pair of wins.

Here’a a summary of the action:

RACE ONE—FLORIDA BREEDERS STAKE – 2-YO  FILLY PACE ($15,250)

Prairie Puma (Royal Millennium) dominant over her rival in the first four legs in this month long FSBOA stakes action, continued that dominance with a “Secretariat” like 35 length win for driver Dein Spriggs, who co-owns the filly with trainer Tony Dinges.

Dashing off the wings with alacrity, the two-year-old Prairie Puma, with a 2:02 mark here at “SsM” three weeks ago, needed no more than a 2:06 mile on this day off fractions of :31, 1:03.4 and 1:36 to extend her distance over Gator Time, handled by George Birkhold, Jr., in the lane and extend her unblemished streak to five here over the one mile oval—for both Prairie Puma and driver Spriggs.

Her career, incidentally, humbly began at Shenandoah Downs with $1,920 in her two starts there and concluded here with vaulted bounty of $28,844—$26,924 over the past month.

RACE TWO—FLORIDA BREEDERS STAKE- 2-YO  FILLY TROT ($15,650)

Nola Christian (Stormin Normand) in a heated rivalry with Sunshine Jet over the past weeks, made a bold bid during the third quarter and drew off to a four length over over her chief rival, equalling her mark with a 2:06.4 win for Kevin Wallis.

Owned and trained by Thomas Casey, Nola Christian was in no hurry from her outside post early and was gapped in the early going with the opening panel in :31 with Gatorland Nolett, teamed with Mickey McNichol, in the lead and Sunshine Jet, driven by Wally Hennessey, next. On the backside, Sunshine brushed forward to take charge with Nola Christian on the prowl, collaring the leader with three-eighths to go and drawing clear late.

Arriving at Sunshine Meadows with a mere $500 in earnings, Nola Christian boosted that total to $14,250 in South Florida—$12,457 in her last two starts.

RACE THREE—FLORIDA BREEDERS STAKE  2-YO  C/G TROT ($15,650)

Delray Jet (Odino Jet) circled her rivals from last during a third quarter blitz and scooted away to an eight length win for Wally Hennessey in 2:07, a new lifetime mark.

Trained by Nick Coblentz for Amante Standardbreds, Delray Jet brushed through his third quarter in :29.2 and won the sprint to the wire with Jays Gator Boy, driven by Mickey McNichol,   next over Prairie Hustle, who took the field through opening quarters of :29.4 and 1:03 before, first, Jays Gator Boy took charge—for a few strides—then Delray Jet for good.

Beginning his career only one month ago at Sunshine Meadows, Delray Jet broke his maiden in his last start before capping off his success here on Super Saturday, brining his earnings to $18,727—$15,334 over the past two starts.

RACE FOUR—FLORIDA BREEDERS STAKE—2-YO C/G PACE ($15,650)

Gold Star Lucky (Luck Be Withyou), receiving confident handling from Robbie Hoffman, cut the mustard through fractions of :29.1, 1:01 and 1:29.3 and used a :29,3 finale to withstand a spirited threat from Dating A Virgin, with Nick Coblentz in the bike, to score by three-parts-of-a-length in 1:59.1—his fourth straight win under 2:00 here at Sunshine Meadows.

Gator Rocks was next for George Birkhold, Jr.

Trained by Nick Coblentz for Marianne and Maggie Audley, Gold Star Lucky was off the gate alertly with Dating A Virgin drafting closely in the garden spot and, when they began their sprint home, it became a race as Dating A Virgin began gnawing away but ran out of racetrack in the final stages.

Gold Star Lucky, with Hoosier Park experience before arriving at Sunshine Meadows, vaulted his earnings to $26,669 with the win.

RACE FIVE—FLORIDA BREEDERS STAKE—3-YO FILLY PACE ($15,500)

Prairie Kitten (Royal Millennium) survived a lengthy battle with arch-rival Dance With Destiny to finally score a five length victory in 2:00.3.

Handled by Wally Hennessey for trainer Laurie Poulin, who co-owns with Fred Morosini and Patricia Fritz, Prairie Kitten was in a way the first eighth mile to force Dance With Destiny, driven by Joe Sanzeri, to relent…but only briefly.

After a :30.1 opener, Sanzeri pulled and engaged in what was to become a long war past the half in :1:00.1 and continuing through a :29.4 third panel. The conflict continued further to mid-stretch when Prairie Kitten began edging away in the final stages.

Sanzeri’s Dance With Destiny had won the first two encounters at Sunshine Meadows with Prairie Kitten using the post position advantage in their last encounter to set up this deciding race for the championship and, again, the draw made the difference on two evenly matched talents.

Prairie Kitten, last year’s champion at age two, defended her crown this day to send her earnings career-wise to $66,618—$26,585 over the past month at Sunshine Meadows.

RACE SIX—FLORIDA BREEDERS STAKE—3-YO FILLY TROT ($15,500)

Bellarina Jet (Odino Jet), with Wally Hennessey handling the lines for trainer Nick Coblentz and Amante Standardbreds, sprinted away late to score a six length win over P’s Just Peachy and trainer-driver Marshall Makin in 2:06 and claiming the crown in this sophomore division of. FSBOA stakes.

With P’s Just Peachy making a miscue before the start, Bellarina Jet owned a six length lead early—:30.1—before “Peachy” recovered and blitzed to the front after a 1:04.4 half—but not for long.

Bellarina Jet reclaimed control by the third station in 1:34.4 and bagan to draw off in the final 16th of a mile.

A perfect dix-for-six last season here at Sunshine Meadows, Bellarina Jet was four-ffor-five this year and vaulted her lifetime earnings to $67,327—$28,025 this past month right here at Sunshine Meadows.

RACE SEVEN—FLORIDA BREEDERS STAKE—3 YO C/G TROT ($15,500)

By a literal whisker, Legacy’s Casanova (Jailhouse Jesse) edged out stablemate Okeechobee Jett, with Wally Hennessey, in, thus far, the tightest finish of the year at Sunshine Meadows.

Coming off a maiden win last start and drawing the outside post, Legacy’s Casanova, owned and trained by Nick Coblentz, had Tony Dinges in the bike for this championship event and Dinges sent his charge off the wings to outspint his rival and have things his own way through fractions of :31, 1:02.1 and 1:32.4 with Okeechobee Jet leaving the comfort of the pocket during the sprint home.

At the finish, it took the photo finish camera and a lengthy look from the judges to make the call in a mile clocked in 2:01.4.

Said Dinges after the race, “I guess I just ‘outscreamed’ him at the wire.

“I sure didn’t know if we won…and neither did Wally. It was anybody’s guess”

Legacy’s Casanova was second on four occasions to Okeechobee Jet last season here and this second lifetime win—his biggest payday ever—pushed his lifetime earnings to $47,341.

RACE EIGHT-FLORIDA BREEDERS STAKE — 3-YO C/G PACE (15,500)

In the final Florida Stakes event of the 2024 season, it took yet another photo finish to find Gator Pledthefifth (Well Said), driven by George Birkhold, Jr., literally nosing out Prairie Achiever, with pilot Wally Hennessey in 1:59—the winner’s last quarter :27.4.

These two had put on quite a show over this fall stakes season with Prairie Achiever holding a two-to-one edge (not including a walkover, of course) and today’s matchup was a classic.

The two hooked up early in a battle for supremacy with Prairie Achiever having the advantage of the inside post and able to get through panels of :29.4, 1:00.3 and 1:31.

Out of the cozy pocket in the lane, Gator Pledthefifth kept gnawing away relentlessly with the two hitting the line together and only the photo finish camera splitting their nostrils.

Trained by Mickey McNIchol for owner George Birkhold, Gator Pledthefifth earned his second win of the year to send his career earnings to $38,773.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting Results

by John Berry, for the FSBOA