In harness racing the driver sits in a sulky, or cart, that’s harnessed to the horse.

Harness racing horses, or standardbreds, are an American breed of trotting and pacing horses developed especially for harness racing by crossing Thoroughbreds with Morgans and other breeds.

Pompano Park is the only live action harness racing facility in Florida! Located in Broward County, one of the countries most popular year ‘round vacation areas. Owned and operated by Isle of Capri Casinos the facility is undergoing a $150,000,000 expansion with the casino scheduled to open in February 2007 with Las Vegas style slots. Pompano Park is home of the lucrative Florida Sire Stakes series for harness horses bred in the state. It currently offers simulcasting from around the country and live poker.

The combination of a casino and a racetrack---either horses or greyhounds---is a racino. The movement is booming across the country as states turn more and more to the money raising capabilities of gaming by taxing their high profits. While the types of gaming in a racino gavary slot machines or vlts-video lottery terminals are Most important, while education is often the destination of the tax dollars the racing facility benefits through higher purses, bigger crowds and growing betting handles. It’s a win/win situation for all involved---and horse owners also benefit.

Harness horses are either trotters or pacers. Trotting is the gait in which the horses legs move in diagonal pairs---such as front right/back left---but not quite simultaneously, so that when the movement is slow one foot at least is always on the ground, and when fast all four feet are momentarily off the ground at once. Pacing is the gait in which both feet on one side leave the ground together. Harness horses are bred to race in a specific gait.

Sire stakes are races for horses bred in a particular state. Tommy offers a Fractional Ownership program for Florida bred horses he’s now preparing to race in the 2007 Florida Sire Stake program. Additionally, he trains horses for private owners that race in such programs in other states. All Florida Sire Stake races are contested at Pompano Park, in Pompano Beach.