Ppk5/8 - High Priced Yearling Trotters Turning Up

The first race of the Monday evening, April 2 program at Pompano featured three high priced yearlings making their first lifetime starts but none of them came up a winner in their 2012 and three year old season's debut in the maiden trot event.  

Sleigh Bells Ring, a four year old Florida bred trotting mare by Famously-Celebrity Descent driven by Richie Simard, upset $35,000 yearling Occupy Wall Street in rein to Jan Johnson. Also in the field were $50,000 yearling Mississippi Beauty (finished 5th) and $100,000 yearling The Aviator (finished 8th). (Skip Smith Photo)

Cutting the mile was Occupy Wall Street in rein to Jan Johnson. The Muscles Yankee-My Girl Hall filly was a $35,000 yearling item at Harrisburg in 2010, and she was caught at the wire by double digit longshot Sleigh Bells Ring in rein to Richie Simard. The win time was 2:01 for the 4 year old daughter of Famously-Celebrity Descent trained by Mark Friedman for owner Victoria Friedman of Boca Raton, FL.

Finishing 5th in the same event was Mississippi Beauty with Walter Ross Jr. behind the 3 year old filly for Willow Oak Ranch of Rogersville, TN. The most anticipated starter in the race, The Aviator, went offstride in his lifetime racing debut and finished 8th. The Aviator is owned by SSG Stables of of North Boston, NY and the 3 year old Striking Sahbra-Ten Queens gelding was hammered down for $100,000 as hip 371 in the 2010 Lexington Selected Sale.

The Isle Mile 1 Mares Handicap Pace was the top event on the Monday evening program for an $8,000 purse at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park. Princessofdarkness, in rein to Pompano's hottest driver of the past two months, Dan Clements, dominated from the front end in 1:53.1 over Eyewitness Account with Wally Hennessey up and Miss Sparta driven by Gaston Lareau. Jim Mattison trains the 5 year old daughter of The Panderson-Mattintosh for Leola and Gil Pochesci of Leominster, ME and co-owner Vicki Mattison of Pompano Beach. It was the first win of the 5  year old campaign in three starts for Princessofdarkness, now a career winner of $149,395.

The current meet concludes on July 28. In April and May post time is 7:15 p.m. Eastern every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at The Winter Capital Of Harness Racing. In June and July, live cards will be held on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. Free race night live streaming, handicapping selections by Hall Of Famer John Berry, the replays archive and much more is available in the 'racing' tab at www.theislepompanopark.com .