The top trotters squared off on Monday, March 3 in the $36,000 Preferred Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park, where O'Brien Award runner-up Amigo Volo, driven by James MacDonald, delivered an impressive off-the-pace victory.
Quebec Hanover (Louis-Philippe Roy) grabbed the early lead over insider Amigo Volo and MacDonald, but Royalty Beer (Tyler Jones) was eager to make the front, clearing the field after the first quarter in :28. The 4-5 favourite, New Rules (Trevor Henry), positioned well on the backside, was the first to tip to the outside. Royalty Beer, maintaining the lead, reached the half in :56.4. As the race continued, Royalty Beer passed the third panel in 1:25.2, with New Rules still in hot pursuit. The battle for the top spot was far from over as the field approached the stretch.
In the final stretch, New Rules cleared Royalty Beer and appeared poised to take the victory. However, the 9-5 second favourite Amigo Volo wasn't done yet. The trotter surged late after tracking the favourite's cover in the final turn, bringing the heat and ultimately turning the tables on New Rules to score in 1:54.2 by three lengths. New Rules had to settle for second, while Spitfire Oversees (Jody Jamieson) closed with impressive speed to finish third.
Amigo Volo, an eight-year-old gelding by Father Patrick out of Margarita Momma, scored his first Preferred victory of 2025 after two third-place finishes and two second-place finishes earlier in the season. Trained by Meg Crone and co-owned by Pinske Stables and David J. Miller, Amigo Volo now sports 44 career wins and lifetime earnings of $2,730,892, further solidifying his place as one of the sport’s top trotters.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)