Hennessey scores hat trick at Sunshine Meadows

Harness racing drivers Wally Hennessey, Kevin Wallis and Mike Simons were the sulky stars at Sunshine Meadows

Equestrian Village in Delray Beach, FL on Saturday (Dec. 3) as the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association (FSBOA) paid tribute to the late Melvyn Aylor and Tom Audley in the form of $56,000 in stakes events honoring their memory.

On the training side of the ledger, Nick Coblentz, Tony Dinges, Mickey McNichol and Justin Mullett each had doubles on the eight-race program.

Hennessey, who started out with a third, fourth and two seconds in his first four drives, earned his hat trick by sweeping the final three races.

Also of note, Justin Mullett, with his one winning drive and training double, kept his Sunshine Meadows record during the first five weeks of the FSBOA stakes season unblemished with his scorecard being 5-for-5 in the bike and 8-for-8 in the training column.

Here are the results for the Aylor-Audley Stakes session:

$8,000 Aylor Memorial for Two-Year-Old Trotting Fillies

Legacy’s Jailbreak (Dontyouforgetit) took charge off the wings for Mike Simons and scored a gate-to-wire win in 2:04, keeping her record unblemished with her fourth straight win. Atlantic Wave, driven by Alessandro Spano, closed fastest of all to finish second with Prairie Ranga, handled by Wally Hennessey, next after a mild threat around the final bend. The winner is owned and trained by Nick Coblentz and sent her bounty to $12,525 with the win.

$8,000 Aylor Memorial for Two-Year-Old Trotting Geldings

Rhinestone Camo (Southwind Camo), who gave hints last week finishing a strong second, broke his maiden by leading every stride of his mile to score for Kevin Wallis in 2:04. Getnthecarchuckie, with Mike Simons in his bike, used a strong :28.2 brush during his third panel to take charge but the winner got rekindled turning for home and scored by 1 1/4 lengths. The latter wound up in a dead-heat for second as Seminole Moon, some 15 lengths away early, closed fastest of all to earn a tie for the place spot with Matt Krueger. Rhinestone Camo is trained by Mickey McNichol, for George C. L. Birkhold.

$8,000 Aylor Memorial for Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies

Flo Jo (Keystone Velocity), obviously taking a page from the late, great track star Florence Griffith Joyner, also known as Flo-Jo, sizzled home in :26.4 for Mike Simons to nail Prairie Lynx on the wire in 1:58.3, a new life mark. The latter, who took charge turning for home for Wally Hennessey, had a four length lead in the lane and paced her final panel in :28 but simply couldn’t hold off the winner. The early leader, Prairie Special, with Tony Dinges driving, was less than a length away at the wire. Flo Jo is trained by Nick Coblentz for Mr. Dale L. Witcher II and earned her second straight win, the last one in 2:00.4—:27. Her earnings are now $9,380—$8,500 of that in the last eight days.

$8,000 Aylor Memorial for Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts and Geldings

Gator Forty Five (McArdle) earned Kevin Wallis a driving double with a lifetime best 1:59 performance, using a :27.3 backside blitz to take charge at the third station and then grudgingly holding on in the lane to score by a half a length. Easy As That, with Hennessey handling the lines, threatened in the late stages but was next best. Gator Growl, driven by Peter Wrenn, was third, one length away, in an event that had several lead changes the first three-quarters of a mile. Gator Forth Five is trained by Mickey McNichol for Mary Birkhold, who co-owns with George C.L.Birkhold. He’s banked $8,609 in his young career.

$6,000 Audley Memorial for Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies

G’s Independence (Big Chocolate) dominated her foes for the fourth straight time in these Stakes competition with an easy win in 2:04.2 for owner-trainer Justin Mullett. Cutting panels of :31, 1:02 and 1:33.4 along the way, the filly widened her margin throughout, scoring by 19 lengths over Charis, driven by Matt Krueger, who recovered from an early miscue to finish second. I’m Solar Powered was second much of the way but was caught once the sun ducked behind a cloud in the stretch. The win vaulted the lifetime earnings of G’s Independence to $61,390.

$6,000 Audley Memorial for Three-Year-Old Trotting Geldings

Prince Of Sussex (Creatine) continued his mastery of his foes with a handy 2:04.4 score—his fourth straight win. Wally Hennessey was in the sulky for trainer Justin Mullett, who conditions for Heather Wilder and Herman Brewer. The winning margin was two lengths off of panels reading :32, 1:04.1 and 1:34.1. Little John made a menacing move around the final bend for Matt Krueger in finishing second while Oh No Not Again, a walkover winner last week, was third for Tony Dinges. In garnering his fourth straight win, Prince Of Sussex sent his lifetime bankroll over the $125,000 plateau. As mentioned earlier, Mullett is 5 for 5 in the bike and 8-for-8 in the training column during this Sunshine Meadows FSBOA stakes meeting.

$6,000 Audley Memorial for Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies

Come On Spank Me (Tellitlikeitis), last year’s Super Night Champion, put her foes on notice that she is very serious about retaining her crown this year as she hung a four length defeat on arch-rival Benicio, stopping the clock in 1:56—:57.4. Benicio did finish second for Matt Krueger while Gold Star Snowball, handled by Mike Simons, finished third. Trained by Tony Dinges for Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi, the race had five different lead changes with Come On Spank Me, the early leader then shuffled, stormed from third turning for home and closed fastest of all for her fifth win of the year and ninth success lifetime. With the win, Come On Spank Me now has bounty of $71,844 with the lucrative Champions Day a week ahead.

$6,000 Audley Memorial for Three-Year-Old Pacing Geldings

Cowboy Cool (Western Terror), making his first Sunshine Meadows start, got Hall of Fame rating from Wally Hennessey (completing his consecutive hat trick) and romped off to a five length win in 2:01.3 with a :28.3 closer sealing the fate of Gator At The Well, with George Birkhold driving and Vinnie V, driven by Matt Krueger. Tony Dinges trains for Souren Hovsepian and Geoff Howles and Hennessey remarked that Cowboy Cool liked the surroundings saying, “You know, he’d been racing on smaller tracks and, once they straightened away, one chirp and we was gone.”

Racing continues next Saturday as the lucrative Champions Day puts the bow on the Florida Stakes season for 2022.

Post time for the Sunshine Meadows FSBOA finale is 11:00 a.m.

For complete race results, click here.

by John Berry, for FSBOA