Twenty-four-year-old conditioner John McNeil III of Vernon Center, N.Y. harnessed a winner on a fifth straight program at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park on Saturday evening, Jan. 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.
With Fern Paquet, Jr. in the bike, Kommander Hawk was guided through early fractional times of :27.4, :56.1, and after the race favorite, Pacinello, made a break near the half the Pro Bono Best--Spinner's Hawk 6-year-old gelding sprinted from 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 owner Ellen McNeil of Vernon Center, N.Y.
The young trainer will be seeking to harness a winner on a sixth straight program on Monday evening, Jan. 30, when he will send out Looney Dune in the Mares Open II pace, the opening race, and the conditioned trotter MC Thunderstruck in the 10th race.
McNeil’s top career year was 2011, with more than $111,000 in training purses amassed at Vernon Downs, Saratoga Harness and Pompano, and his starters have already earned more than $30,000 in January 2012 in South Florida.
Eleven-year-old takes a big mark
It isn't very often that a horse in the second decade of life will earn a career-best speed mark, but the veteran pacer Armbro Billow accomplished just that on the final Saturday night of January at The Winter Capital Of Harness Racing.
In a $6,100 purse conditioned test Armbro Billow was kept well back of the unsustainable pace made Big Bam Ray. in rein to Richie Simard. as the fastest opening half of the meet, thus far, flashed up :53.1. Going into the final turn in 1:21.3 Joe Pavia, Jr. had Armbro Billow out wide in the advancing flow and they brushed home the best in 1:50.4 over Flexjet, partnered with Wally Hennessey, and Night Train Shane, driven by Anthony Napolitano.
It was the 69th career victory for Armbro Billow. The 11-year-old Rustler Hanover--Armbro Breeze gelding has been trained to a career bankroll of more than $518,000 by Mike Watson for Streetwise Stable of Canton, Mich.
Post time is 7:15 p.m., eastern every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday at The Winter Capital Of Harness Racing.