Overdraft Volo brushed past Fine Tuned Lady, sent off the 1-5 favourite, to pull off a 23-1 upset in the final of five divisions for the $298,000 Bluegrass for two-year-old trotting fillies on Friday, September 30 at The Red Mile.
Feed Your Head took the lead from Fine Tuned Lady through a :28.4 opening quarter before losing it to her heading to the half. Timed in :57.2, Fine Tuned Lady remained in control into the far turn, as Overdraft Volo moved first over from fifth and charged towards the lead. She moved into second after a 1:27.4 third quarter.
Fine Tuned Lady clung to command at the top of the stretch, but Overdraft Volo soon edged passed and drew away to a two-length victory, with Fine Tuned Lady finishing second and Feed Your Head third, in 1:55.2.
Returning $49.20 to win, Overdraft Volo, by Yankee Glide from the Tagliabue mare Bank Of Newport, won her second start in seven this year, pushing her earnings to $47,097 for owners Pinske Stables and Kentuckiana Racing Stable. She’s trained by Julie Miller and driven by Andy Miller.
Sweeping to the top after the half, Princess Aurora held control as she trotted a 1:54.3 mile to win her Bluegrass division as the 3-5 favourite.
Temple Ruins took the lead from Evelyn after a :29 opening quarter, prompting Evelyn to pull from the pocket and retake the lead. Princess Aurora stalked the two from third, eventually edging first over and rushing to the lead off a :57.2 half.
Chezatter, sitting fifth for most of the mile, moved first over around the far turn. She moved into third while Princess Aurora passed three-quarters in 1:27.2. Princess Aurora extended her lead through the stretch, finishing in front of Chezatter and Evelyn.
Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld share ownership of the homebred filly by Cantab Hall out of the Muscles Yankee mare Vulcanize. Winning her third start in eight this season, she has earned $75,276. Trained by Jimmy Takter and driven by Yannick Gingras, she paid $3.40 to win.
“She’s out of a really top mare,” Marvin Katz said. “[Vulcanize] was a tough mare for us to get in foal, and she was the first filly we had from her, and we weren’t going to lose the opportunity of that pedigree, so we were going to keep her.
“She trained down with Jimmy’s, and that’s tough company training down with Jimmy’s horses,” Katz also said. “She wasn’t at the front end of the class, but he liked her, and it seems that she’s really getting better. Yannick seemed really pleased with her tonight, and Jimmy has been raving about her the last little while as well.”
“It was a bit of a rocky start,” Gingras said. “Every time I drove her, some days she’d be running out a bit and some days she’d be running in. Her gait has always been good; her issues were maybe in her mind a little bit. It was all about getting her to be one-hundred percent, and she definitely is right now.”
Onda Su stalked duelling leaders before circling to the lead and coasting to a 1:55.4 victory over Myammie Drama and French Press.
Future Secured led through a :28.4 first quarter. Grandma’ Moni, the 6-5 favourite, was positioned fifth into the backstretch before pulling first over at three-eighths. Matching strides with Future Secured off a :57.2 half-mile, Grandmas Moni was left parked into the far turn. She began to falter as Onda Su edged outside from fourth and rushed three-wide past three-quarters in 1:25.2.
Onda Su powered by Future Secured in the stretch. French Press, sitting fourth for most of the mile, fanned towards the center of the track to take second, and was soon overtaken by Myammie Drama, flying from last and cutting into Onda Sus lead in the stretch. Onda Su, under a hand drive, was two lengths clear of Myammie Drama at the line.
Winning her third race in nine start this season, Onda Su, by Muscle Massive from the Andover Hall mare Upfront Obs Janet, has now compiled $55,981 in earnings for owners Frederick and Shirley Schwartz and Onda Racing Stable LLC. Trained by Jim Campbell and driven by Corey Callahan, she paid $11.20.
“She has run on me a couple of times and she ran on Dave [Miller] in some qualifiers,” Corey Callahan said. “You kind of just have to hold onto her. Jim [Campbell] made sure to find me in the paddock and give me some good coaching pointers, and everything worked out.”
Thats All Moni out-sprinted Hillarmbro through the stretch to narrowly win her Bluegrass division in 1:54.4.
Sianna Hanover moved to the lead off a :28.1 quarter, with Hillarmbro sitting second and Thats All Moni third. After a :57 half, Thats All Moni initiated a first-over bid, carrying Cool Cates on her back. Thats All Moni soon met strides with Sianna Hanover at three-quarters in 1:26.3.
Taking the lead midway through the stretch, Thats All Moni was soon challenged by Hillarmbro, who slid up the pylons and attempted to take the lead. Thats All Moni kept her nose in front, winning over Hillarmbro and Cool Cates.
Paying $3.60 to win, Thats All Moni, by Cantab Hall out of the Pine Chip mare Moms Millionaire, won her fourth race in eight starts this season. She has compiled $203,123 in earnings for owners Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, and Al Libfeld. Trained by Jimmy Takter, Thats All Moni was driven by Tim Tetrick.
“She’s got to be a little careful or she gets away by herself sometimes,” Tim Tetrick said. “She starts to wander, ears up, and she was really coming hard at the top of the lane; she almost wanted to over-trot herself and I had to gather her up.”
Treviso drafted behind pacesetter and 1-5 favourite Broadway Idole and swung out of the pocket to take the lead and draw off to a two-length victory in 1:54.1.
Southwind Avanti led through a :28.1 quarter before losing the lead to Broadway Idole after a :57.2 half. Southwind Avanti soon pulled first over, but stalled in her attempt to overtake Broadway Idole at three-quarters in 1:26.
Faltering, Southwind Avanti made room for Treviso to pull out of the pocket. She was on equal terms with Broadway Idole midway through the stretch and eventually surpassed her. Effie Trinket closed to finish third.
Owned by Klis Brothers Stable and Carrie Norris, and trained and driven by Charlie Norris, Treviso, by Muscle Massive from the Taurus Dream mare Valbonela, won her fourth race in eight tries this year, pushing her earnings to $112,694. She paid $10.80 to win.
“A couple starts back Yannick [Gingras] and I got hooked up in the first turn and kind of jostled her a bit,” Charlie Norris said. “And then last week, for the [Pennsylvania Sires Stakes] final, I had no idea [why she broke]. I just turned to the gate and she just started hopping up and down. Other than that, she has just been perfect all year.
“I was happy to see Brett [Miller] come; I didn’t want to be behind Marcus [Johansson],” Norris also said.
“She’ll come back next week for the International [Stallion Stakes] and if she races good again next week, we’ll go to the Breeders Crown,” he added.
Live racing resumes Saturday, October 1 at The Red Mile with four divisions of the $294,000 Bluegrass Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies and five divisions of the $330,000 Bluegrass Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings. First race post is 7 p.m.
(With files from The Red Mile)