This coming weekend, the Pennsylvania All-Stars series will bring together two interesting groups of colts at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono: three-year-old trotters on Saturday afternoon and two-year-old pacers during Sunday’s twilight card.
Seventeen of the 27 trotters entered in Saturday’s three $30,000 All-Stars divisions are eligible to contest the sport’s greatest prize, the Hambletonian, on Saturday, August 8. The owners and trainers of the 'Hambo' eligibles will be getting a good reading on their horses’ ability exactly three weeks before the elimination races for the Hambletonian.
Amigo Volo is the richest and probably the best-known of the entrants. The altered son of Father Patrick, trained by Nifty Norman for the Pinske Stables and David J. Miller, earned $610,546 at age two and set four world records for his age, sex, and gait. He undoubtedly needed his seasonal debut last week after having not raced since November, and he will have the services of Pocono’s leading driver, George Napolitano Jr. Amigo Volo, who will be looking to further establish his Hambo credentials, is scheduled to start from Post 2 in Race 8.
Last year at the Red Mile, Big Oil showed the racing world that he means business, as he dead-heated with divisional champion Real Cool Sam in 1:52.1. Another son of Father Patrick, Big Oil won his 2020 debut easily in 1:55 at Harrah's Philadelphia, and he will start from Post 5 in Race 10. Tyler Buter is scheduled to drive Big Oil for for trainer Julie Miller and owners Jason, Douglas, and Ronald Allen.
There is no outstanding favourite in Race 6, though the Muscle Hill colt Hillexotic may draw some attention from Post 5. He won a Meadowlands qualifier in 1:54.4 and closed in :26.2 to finish fourth in what was his pari-mutuel debut (he was unraced as a two-year-old). Hillexotic is trained and driven by Trond Smedshammer for Purple Haze Stables LLC.
Sunday’s All-Stars action for freshman pacing colts has attracted enough interest to schedule five $30,000 divisions. Three of the entrants recorded victories in the first preliminary of their Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action at Harrah's Philadelphia: Bayfield Beach (1:52.4) and Always A Miki (1:52.2), both of whom are scheduled to contest Race 10, and Lous Pearlman (1:53.3), who is slated to be in action in Race 3.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono)