Pompano Feature To Ontario-Sired, Explosive Muscles

Explosive Muscles, driven by Dave Ingraham, definitely lived up to his name on Tuesday night (March 7) by using his explosive muscle power in the final stages to score a well-earned 1:55.3 win in Pompano Park’s $10,000 Open II trotting feature.

The seven-year-old gelded son of Muscle Mass out-duelled Lugar, with Kevin Wallis in the bike, heading into the opening turn and went on to post panels of :27.4, :57.3 and 1:26.2 before a :29.1 finale held off Pocket Trip and driver Fern Paquet Jr. by a neck.

Fleetwood Hall, with Rick Plano handling that gelding’s lines, closed fastest of all in the classy octet to finish third, just a length off the winner, while Lugar was another three-quarters of a length back in fourth.

Kabu finished fifth while My Revenuer, Commentary and Southwind Stryker completed the order of finish, with the latter, off at even-money, making a miscue at the start.

After the race, driver Dave Ingraham related, “I didn’t see much happening when the gate sprung and this horse likes to be in the hunt from the get-go, so I did what he likes to do and went for the top.

“He made is rather easily and he was nice and relaxed the middle part of the mile. We really didn’t have much of a challenge on the backside so I thought we had a chance to get home tonight.

“Fern [Paquet]’s trotter was going some at the end but the wire came and that was that!”

Owned by Rebecca Uppal along with trainer Casandra Uppal, the ultra-consistent Explosive Muscles sent his 2017 scorecard to 3-2-2 in 10 starts, good for earnings of $21,820. Lifetime, Explosive Muscles has reached the winner’s circle on 26 occasions and now has a career bankroll of $166,836.

As second choice at 9-5, Explosive Muscles paid $5.80 to win.

(Standardbred Canada)

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