Eric Mollar’s Vlos scored a sizzling 1:48 wire-to-wire victory in the $40,000 Patriot Invitational Pace Sunday afternoon under sunny skies at Colonial Downs
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The six-year-old Dragon Again horse came to Virginia fresh off a 1:48.2 record-equaling trip at Pocono Downs on October 8. That finishing time – the fastest ever at Pocono - had been authored by two other pacers over the years. Colonial’s all time fastest mile was a 1:47.4 effort set in 1998 by Ultimate Falcon. Vlos came one tick shy of that mark on Sunday.
Tom Jackson directed the heavy favourite to initial fractions of :25.3, :52.4 and 1:20.4. Vlos took a 1-1/4 length lead to the top of the stretch over Roy Orbisong and extended it another half-length at the finish. Daryl Bier’s Roy Orbisong held on for second over fast closing Barber Pole. The winner paid $3.80.
This was the fifth edition of the Patriot Invitational at Colonial Downs. The first four installments featured trotters, and Director of Racing Craig Andow switched gaits to pacers this fall in hopes of attracting a deeper field. The move paid off as eight went postward Sunday including five who had a winning mile of 1:49.4 or better this year.
(Colonial Downs)