Ppk5/8 - McNeil's Streak Now Five Straight at Pompano

The youngest trainer on the Pompano backstretch for the 2011-2012 meet has amassed a win streak that can vault him into his best career year - and it's showing no signs of slowing down into the coming week.

 24 year old conditioner John McNeil III of Vernon Center, NY harnessed up a winner in a fifth straight program at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park on Saturday evening, January 28. With their only starter of the night, the McNeil connections counted victory again as Kommander Hawk dominated his Open Pace rivals to score in a life's mark clocking of 1:51.

Kommander Hawk (5-Fern Paquet Jr. driving) paced home in a life's mark of 1:51 on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park in the $12,000 purse Open Pace. It was the 5th straight Pompano program for 24 year old trainer John McNeil III to harness up at least one winner. (Skip Smith Photo)

 With Fern Paquet Jr. in the bike, Kommander Hawk was guided through early fractional times of  27.4, 56.1, and after race favorite Pacinello made a break near the half the Pro Bono Best-Spinner's Hawk six year old gelding sprinted the backstretch to the final turn in 1:23.2. The pocket sitting Deep Finesse driven by George Napolitano Jr. and late closing Red Star Paylater in rein to Dan Clements could not reach Kommander Hawk as he stepped to his third straight win in South Florida for the ownership of Ellen McNeil of Vernon Center, NY.

The young trainer will be seeking to harness up a winner on a sixth straight program on Monday evening, January 30, as he sends out Looney Dune in Mares Open Pace II in the opening race and conditioned trotter MC Thunderstruck in the 10th race. His top career year was 2011 with over $111,000 in training purses amassed at Vernon Downs, Saratoga Harness and Pompano and already his starters have earned over $30,000 in January of 2012 in South Florida.