Joy, tears in winner’s circle

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There were screams, there were hugs, and there were tears. Plenty of tears.

Family and friends of the late owner Paul Pompa Jr. attended the races at Aqueduct on Saturday and got to make two trips to the winner’s circle, first with Spirit Maker in a maiden race and later with Turned Aside in the $100,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship.

But the thrill of victory was tinged with the sadness of the absence of Pompa, who died Oct. 9 of a heart attack at the age of 62.

“It was bittersweet,” said Jerry McClenin, Pompa’s cousin and racing manager. “We were all screaming and then we were all crying. It was an emotional day. Very emotional.”

McClenin along with Pompa’s wife, Lisa, their children Michael and Paul III, and Pompa’s sister Michele Merle were among those who attended the races Saturday. All but Lisa returned to Aqueduct on Sunday to watch Fifth Risk run in the $100,000 Tepin Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on turf. Fifth Risk finished fifth.

Those were among the last runners that will be sent out by the stable, McClenin said. In January, approximately 39 stable horses will be dispersed at the Keeneland sale. Later in 2021, the current yearlings will be sold at the 2-year-olds in-training auctions.

“He told me, ‘I don’t want my family to deal with all this business,’ ” McClenin said. “Basically, I’m looking forward to trying to fulfill his wishes. If the family decides to keep some horses, that’ll be their decision, but every horse is going in the dispersal.”

Pompa, who just six weeks before his death sold his Brooklyn-based trucking business, enjoyed great success in racing. He is best known for campaigning Big Brown, who won the 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Pompa was the original owner and then sold part-interest to the IEAH Stables.

Pompa’s stable grew in prominence over the years and he won Grade 1 stakes with Connect and Backseat Rhythm while also campaigning multiple stakes winners D’ Funnybone, Tommy Macho, and Zakocity. Among those in the dispersal are current runners Regal Glory, a threetime stakes winner; Country Grammer, the Grade 3 Peter Pan winner; and Turned Aside and Spirit Maker.

“He loved all of racing,” McClenin said. “He loved his trips to Saratoga. He won a race at Saratoga for 20 straight years.”

McClenin said there are a few more horses to run before the dispersal, including the filly Setting the Mood in an allowance race on Dec. 26 at Gulfstream Park and the maiden Back Channel, a 3-year-old daughter of Liam’s Map trained by Linda Rice, who has three seconds and a third from four career starts.

Rice was the trainer of Turned Aside, a 3-year-old son of Atlantic Beach who won his second stakes in the Aqueduct Turf Sprint.

“It brings tears to my eyes with his family here – his brothers, his wife and sons,” Rice said. “I just wish Paul could have been here today. He would have been so excited. Anyone who has crossed paths with Paul Pompa I’m sure is going to miss him a lot. He was just a treasure to train for.”