Ppk5/8 - Longest Odds Offering Wins Pompano Open

The combination of a late afternoon rain which dulled the track for leaders into the stretch worked in tandem with an excellent trip scenario to produce a huge upset in the Saturday night, February 4 feature at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park.



The $12,000 purse weekly edition of the Open Pace gave the impression until the closing strides that the recent dominance of Kommander Hawk in rein to Fern Paquet Jr. would continue after he held the first over move by Red Star Paylater and Dan Clements at bay until mid-stretch. At that point, Anthony Napolitano showed Drive All Night clear road for the first time from a second over trip and he responded by pacing up to catch Kommander Hawk and Red Star Paylater in the final yards in 1:53.3.

Drive All Night (6-Anthony Napolitano) edged Kommander Hawk (2-Fern Paquet Jr.) and Red Star Paylater (4-Dan Clements) in the top event on Saturday, February 4 at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park. Drive All Night was overlooked at 23-1 as the longest odds offering in the weekly top class in South Florida. (Skip Smith Photo)

Drive All Night was making his second start back in 2012 after last year's campaign based at Pocono Downs which saw him earn almost $90,000. The 7 year old Real Artist-U Drive Me Crazy gelding is being trained in Florida by Christie Collins for owner Joseph Limongelli of Pittston, PA and he's now a career winner of $381,711. He was off at 23-1, the longest odds in the field of seven starters, to kick back $48.60 to win.