The biggest race of the week and the biggest in Delaware harness this year, the $350,000 Progress Pace is this Sunday at Dover Downs
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One of this season's top rags-to-riches story concerns one of the horses racing in the track's signature event, the Progress Pace.
Go Go Solano, was sold to an Amish horseman in Maine for $700 dollars six months ago. The owner qualified the three-year-old in 2:04 and the next week in 1:57. He then put the colt in the Meadowlands sale and he brought $54,000. The purchaser took him to Canada where continued to improve and Richard Lombardo and Pat Rizzo privately bought Go Go Solano for around $100,000.
From there Go Go Solano quickly became a dominant performer in the New York Sire Stakes, the Bettors Delight gelding won the $175,000 final at Vernon Downs in 1:51 in late September.
He made his next start more than a months later, last Sunday, and finished second in his $35,000 Progress Pace elim. Heading to the final, Go Go Solano has never been farther back than second in nine lifetime starts and his won $195,748 this year.
$350,000 Progress Pace Final
HN - PP - Horse
1 - 3 - Schoolkids
1A - 5 - Vertical Horizon
2 - 1 - Arctic Warrior
3 - 2 - Go Go Solano
4 - 4 - Zee Barber
5 - 6 - Rustys All In
6 - 7 - Vintage Master
7 - 8 - Mr Wiggles
Also on the power packed program are three Matron Stakes finals: the $253,537 Matron Colt Trot, $214,163 three-year-old filly trot and $167,250 three-year-old filly pace.
(Dover Downs)