Amigo Volo and Big Oil have sharpened their games by taking on their division’s best all season. That preparation showed Monday at The Meadows when each captured a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters.
A respectable fourth from post 10 in the Hambletonian final, Amigo Volo had the easier time of it in the event known as the Super Bowl, zipping to the front for Dexter Dunn and winning pretty much as he pleased in 1:53.3. Hillexotic was a non-threatening second, 2-1/4 lengths back, with Patriarch Hanover third.
“He might have been a little flat last week, the week after the Hambo, but he was very sharp today,” Dunn said.
Nifty Norman trains the Father Patrick-Margarita Momma gelding, who now boasts a career bankroll of $820,719, for Pinske Stables and David J. Miller.
Big Oil also reached the Hambo final but lost all chance with early breaks. Although he’s been similarly frustrated in most of his biggest engagements this year, Andy Miller, who pilots him for trainer Julie Miller, maintains his confidence in the son of Father Patrick Cee Bee Yes.
“He’s got the ability if we can get him right; he showed that last year, and he showed a couple flashes this year,” he said. “Hopefully, he’s on the upswing. He has a lot of big races left.”
In the Super Bowl, Big Oil opened a sizable late lead, then held on to edge Chestnut Hill by a nose in 1:53, with Hell Patrol third. Big Oil races for trainer Nifty Norman and owners Jason Allen, Douglas Allen and Ronald Allen
Both winners apparently advanced to the $260,000 PASS Championship on Sept. 6 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, although that won’t be confirmed until point totals are formally tallied.
Town Victor earned stake honours with a 1:54.2 triumph, Overserved won his third consecutive stallion series split and Shadrack Hanover took the third division of Monday’s sub feature.
Trainer Rich Gillock indicated Town Victor was trained up and geared up when the COVID-19 shutdown hit and has been struggling to regain his best stride since.
“We sent him to Florida for the winter, and he was ready to roll,” Gillock said of the Winning Mister-P Town Girl gelding that he owns with Barbara Richardson. “But then everything hit, and he got hurt — it was a combination of things. After the stallion series final, he has some stakes in Pennsylvania, and we paid him into the Matron Stake.”
Town Victor was sharp Monday, hustling to the lead for Mike Wilder and defeating the pocket-sitting Kyrie Deo by 1-1/2 lengths. Bargain Bob completed the ticket.
The Meadows will host all eight $40,000 stallion series championships on Monday, Sept. 7.
Wilder and trainer Ron Burke each enjoyed a four-bagger on the 15-race card while Matt Kakaley fashioned a triple.
Live racing at The Meadows continues Tuesday when the 15-race program features a $5,000 total-pool guarantee for the Early Pick 4 (race 3) and a $4,665 carryover in the final-race Super Hi-5. First post is 12:45 p.m.
(Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)