A Super Sunday At Pompano Park Harness

The Super Bowl is not the only wagering action on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7. In fact, pro-football it is not the only sport from Florida that challenges your handicapping skills. Harness racing at Pompano Park offers pari-mutuel racing, including a Pick 4—Races 6 through 9—first post is 7:20 p.m. Eastern Time.

As a Super Bowl Sunday feature, TwinSpires harness blog presents a special blog analysis of the nine-race program from Pompano Park.

Race 1

From post 7 again, Xpert Bayama takes on $10k claimers, this time without the pacer that beat him last week. Tee Wine’s pacer was the second choice at 2-1 last week, finishing fifth after a slow start. We can toss out that race and support him this time, perhaps at better odds, since Eastender may take the most win money as the favorite.

Race 2

Shipping in from Miami Valley (the Ohio Miami), Blasco drops down after a dismal effort. The positives in the change of venue include local trainer Stephen Oldford’s handling as trainer and driver and a softer field. Vicki All has finished in the money four of the five racing this season and is in a good spot (post 2) for a perfect trip.

Race 3

Only two trotters in this conditional mile have won in 2021 and the best of the duo seems to be Final Dream. Dropping a notch, he comes back in just six days after finishing fourth as that race’s third choice for productive trainer Melissa Beckwith. Muscle High should be the crowd’s choice and maybe over-bet due to local-driver hero Wally Hennessey aboard. 

Race 4

This conditioned trot is very tough, with many arguments for each of the nine involved. The best argument could be for Railee Workable, who has the only recorded win this season from a strong mile seven days ago at Pompano. He made two moves, demanding the front, which he held onto at the wire by a neck. After him in this event is Santini, who gets a better post to improve upon a fourth-place finish at 40-1 from post 8 at this level.

Race 5

Last week, Just Don’t Wait finished second as the crowd’s third choice, beating the favorite and losing to the crowd’s second choice. He’s the better of two entries from trainer Gaston Lareau and he stays at last week’s level where he could take it all. Stuck in post 8 with good support at 6-1, Rocknroll Wildcats had a slow start and could not grind it out well enough in a tightly closing field. He should get a much better trip here.

PICK 4

Races 6—9

Remember that all of our suggested contenders qualify for the multi- and the single-race exotics as well as win, place and show wagers.

Race 6

Leg one pits equal earners against one another in a conditioned trot. Rick Plano drives and trains Chestnut Schofield, arguably having the best start of the field early in the season. At 3-1, he won his second 2021 start in three miles and at that rate of sharpness he should be able to handle post 7, especially since it looks as if some shuffling could take place before the half to set up a winning charge. Jack Rules has a shot at starting the Pick-4 stream off at a decent price. In his most recent he had good support at the windows and he finished second with a strong overland journey, missing a head by a 7-1 shot with an easier trip.

Race 7

Another trot on the program turns up for leg two of the Pick 4 and here seems to be a standout—Muscles Aplenty. Four starts include a finish in each tote position. Though Joe Shaw’s trotter leaves from post 7 he is clearly an easy winner here—providing he does not make a misstep. Even then he might not be in dire danger. But we do not fancy singles in Pick races, so here we add Uva Hanover to the ticket and any other single-race exotic you decide to play.

Race 8

The penultimate leg is another trot and this one features four in the field that have each won two races against similar company and each other, all in the mix. Decisions must be made, so we reduce our choices to two. From post 7, Tee Wine’s Susie’s Sister is the fastest and the richest of these meager square-steppers. Wine has another strong entry that happens to be the second highest earner so far in the bunch—Judge Ken. We have no problem using both on the Pick-4 ticket, as well as on any other exotics offered.

Race 9

The program and the Pick 4 end with this pace. Neptune begins his 2021 campaign in this conditioned pace after a qualifying win that may be faster than any of his foes in this field has raced—certainly this year, since none of the competition has won a race. Trainer Joe Chindano, Jr will drive the sea king-named pacer from the inside post, where he won his qualifying effort with Joe steering. Available to sneak in a good mile is Gunrneedabgrboat A, who was shut down tightly from the 8 hole last week against fiercely faster nags.