Amigo Volo broke the world record for two-year-old trotting geldings on a 5/8-mile track with a 1:54.4 victory, winning in one of four divisions of the $188,420 second preliminary round event in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for freshman males at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon.
Hall Of Famer driver David S. Miller, who won the last four races before taking off mid-card for night stakes action, guided the altered son of Father Patrick–Margarita Momma to the lead near the :27.2 quarter, going past early leader EL Ideal, then put up middle fractions of :57.1 and 1:26. EL Ideal moved out to challenge in the lane, but Amigo Volo had enough in reserve to stay a length clear of his rival for trainer Nifty Norman and owners David J. Miller and the Pinske Stables.
The 1:54.4 clocking reduced by a click the previous record co-held by three horses, each of them getting their share of that record at a different Pennsylvania track: Correctamundo at The Meadows in 2009; Mississippi Storm at Harrah’s in 2017; and White Tiger last year at Pocono.
Miller and Norman teamed up for a second stakes success with the Muscle Hill colt Chestnut Hill in 1:56.2. Out of the $1.3M-winning mare Poof Shes Gone and a $410,000 yearling investment for Melvin Hartman, David McDuffee and Little E LLC, Chestnut Hill is beginning to show return on the big investment, following up a 1:56 win at The Meadowlands with this powerful victory, during which he rushed to the lead down the backstretch and drew off to win by 5-1/2 lengths. Chestnut Hill joins his stablemate Amigo Volo in sporting a 2-for-3 lifetime record.
Muscle Hill picked up a second siring credit when Swiss House Onfire, another expensive yearling ($335,000, out of the mare Brooklyn and with two full brothers going 1:53.1 or better at two), came out of the pocket to get the stretch lead for trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt and then held off Ontopofthehill by a length in 1:57.4, his maiden victory. The S R F Stable is the owner of the developing baby.
The Explosive Matter–Fifty Shades colt Cant Say No controlled the throttle after an early move by driver Tim Tetrick, holding off King Alphonso by a length in a 1:56 victory in the other PaSS cut. Cant Say No now has won three of four, including a Pennsylvania All-Stars division, in his brief career for trainer Ray Schnittker, also co-owner with Steven Arnold, Arden Homestead Stable, and Fred Hertrich III.
This group meets up again at The Meadows next Saturday and Pocono the Sunday after that before the top colts, along with their fellow freshman stars, return to Harrah’s for the Two-Year-Old Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship Day on Sunday, September 8.
George Napolitano, Jr. won three of the card's last four races to tie David Miller with four driving victories on the day.
The Jackpot Hi-5 at Harrah's Philadelphia was hit on Friday when one player successfully chose the winning 2-3-1-6-9 combination in the afternoon's fifth race for a dividend of $77,690.36.
Chillin It De Vie and Pat Berry recorded a 14-1 upset in the fifth race, a second-level conditioned pace for fillies and mares, narrowly defeating 1-5 favourite Shewearsthepants while 38-1, 67-1 and 15-1 shots rounded out the top five finishers.
The Jackpot Hi-5 is a 20-cent wager that requires players to select the top five finishers in order. The carryover, as was the case Friday, is paid out in the event of one unique winning ticket.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)