Party Girl Hill ($2.40) looked every bit the part of a divisional champion on Sunday (Sept. 6) at Harrah's Philadelphia, keeping her undefeated record intact with a decisive 1:48.4 score in the $253,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final for sophomore pacing fillies.
Just eight days removed from her 1:49.2 victory in the Fan Hanover at Woodbine Mohawk Park, the daughter of Captaintreacherous once again asserted her superiority—and in almost identical fashion to her recent Grand Circuit victory.
Driver Dexter Dunn floated Party Girl Hill forward from her pole position, but allowed Rocknificent and New Year to dispute a :26.4 first quarter before brushing from third to clear command with just over a lap to go. After rating a :55.1 half, Party Girl Hill braced for a first-over challenge from JK First Lady, who steadily advanced from fourth up the far side to force a :26.4 third sectional. Party Girl Hill's lead slipped to a length off the home turn, but she responded with a :26.4 quarter of her own, sprinting off at first asking before being taken in hand in the final yards of her two-and-a-half length victory. JK First Lady was a clear second, two-and-a-quarter lengths ahead of tiring pocket rival Rocknificent.
Chris Ryder trains Party Girl Hill, whose 1:48.4 mile broke the existing track and stakes records for three-year-old pacing fillies, for owner-breeder Tom Hill. She has won all nine of her starts and amassed $482,181 in purses.
Party Girl Hill completed a sires stakes hat trick for Dunn, who also captured the $252,000 finals for three-year-old colts and geldings aboard pacer No Lou Zing ($6.60) and trotter Amigo Volo ($2.80).
No Lou Zing, who only broke his maiden on June 20, has since vaulted into the upper echelon of pacing sophomores and proved his place among them with a sharp 1:49.3 effort.
Dunn was reserved early with the Sweet Lou gelding and remained midfield while 3-5 favourite Allywag Hanover brushed from fourth after stalking a :25.4 quarter. Allywag Hanover maintained a spirited pace through middle splits of :53.4 and 1:21.1 and was forced to exert even more into the far turn while Sandbetweenmytoes encroached on the outside and No Lou Zing stalked from second-over.
With just over an eighth remaining, Dunn flipped No Lou Zing three-wide and vaulted to the lead in upper stretch before striding two lengths clear. The Greek Freak saved second from a hard-earned pocket, while Cattlewash narrowly upended Allywag Hanover for third.
Nancy Takter trains five-time winner No Lou Zing for the 3 Brothers Stables, Rojan Stables and Caviart Farms.
Amigo Volo lived to odds-on billing in the three-year-old male trot, scooting away from EL Ideal's stern head-stretch challenge by two-and-three-quarter lengths and delivering a 1:52.3 victory.
Amigo Volo yielded to early speedster EL Ideal on the first turn, only for Dunn to angle his charge out and claim control just beyond a :27.3 first quarter. After stealing a :57.2 half-mile split, the Father Patrick gelding accelerated up the backside, reaching three-quarters in 1:24.4 before EL Ideal emerged from the pocket. However Amigo Volo made easy work of his challenger, sprinting clear in upper stretch to record the 10th win of his career. EL Ideal was an isolated second, five-and-a-half lengths better than Patriarch Hanover (Kakaley).
Richard "Nifty" Norman trains Amigo Volo, whose career earnings now stand at $946,719, for the Pinske Stables and David J. Miller.
Dunn's lone sires stakes defeat came in the $252,000 final for three-year-old trotting fillies, which saw Ron Burke trainee Crucial ($42.80) and David Miller spring a massive upset in a race that figured to be a showdown between Sister Sledge and Next Level Stuff.
Next Level Stuff assumed early control, but kept early challenger Queen Of The Hill—and Dunn—parked through early splits of :27 and :56 while Crucial protected the pocket and 2-5 favourite Sister Sledge assumed second-over position.
As Queen Of The Hill worsened in the breeze nearing three-quarters in 1:24, Sister Sledge angled three-wide but failed to fire as Next Level Stuff primary challenger raced in tow. Crucial angled out of the pocket turning for home and lifted clear by one-and-a-half lengths to win in 1:52.4. Sweet Shirley Mae and Dip Me Hanover emerged to take second and third respectively over an engulfed Next Level Stuff.
It was the seventh career win for Crucial, who campaigns for the Burke Racing Stable, Bill Donovan, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi.
In addition to his win with Amigo Volo, Norman captured two of the four $50,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes consolations on the card: Annabelle Hanover ($9.40, Dunn) took the three-year-old filly pace in 1:50.3, and Chestnut Hill ($8.20, David Miller) won the three-year-old colt and gelding trot in 1:53.2.
Sherry Lyns Lady ($10.60, Tetrick) wired her foes in the three-year-old filly trot in 1:54.4 for trainer Jim Campbell, and Manticore ($2.80, Jordan Stratton) delivered a dynamite 1:49.2 mile in the three-year-old colt pace consolation for trainer Bruce Saunders.
(Harrah's Philadelphia)
I'm very much looking forward
I'm very much looking forward to watching Party Girl Hill take on the also unbeaten Reflect With Me for 2020 3YO pf divisional championship honors. I'm not sure if we'll see this later this month in The Jugette, or next month in The Bluegrass, the Glen Garnsey, and/or the Breeder's Crown.