Chester, PA — The evergreen Amigo Volo hustled off the gate, made the lead in front of the stands, and kept on going to win a three-way decision in the $15,000 featured trot on Thursday (Sept. 19) at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
The altered son of Father Patrick, trained by Richard “Nifty” Norman for owners Pinske Stables and David J. Miller, was outside of favored Asteroid as he made the top on the first turn, then went up to challenge nearing the :27.1 opener and was sent clear by driver George Napolitano Jr. Amigo Volo passed the half in :55, then got a serious challenge by Chake from well before the 1:23.4 three-quarters.
Those two carried on around the turn and into the stretch, with Asteroid moving to the inside to launch his bid. Amigo Volo showed the grit that has allowed him to earn $2,353,854, resisting by a neck the prolonged challenge of Chake, who in turn photoed out Asteroid for the place spot.
Stormont Divide took a lifetime mark of 1:53 in taking the $13,000 co-featured fast-class trot. The slight favorite over Herodotus, Stormont Divide made that foe work hard to set the pace, moved out on the middle of the far turn, and went by the leader by 1-3/4 lengths for driver Jack Pelling, trainer Ron Burke, and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
The Thursday card produced four other trotting victories in 1:55 or faster: MacMorris Hanover (1:54.2), Last Glow and Oliver The Great (both 1:54.3, a new mark for the latter), and Son Of Sona (1:55).
Drivers George Napolitano Jr. and Ridge Warren and trainer Robert Belcher each posted three victories during the card.
Harrah’s Philly will be back in action Friday (Sept. 20) with a first post of 6:30 p.m. Ruthless Hanover, who paced a 1:46.3 world-record mile over a five-eighths-mile track last year, heads up the $15,000 featured handicap pace; Friday’s fans will also have a, $1,808.20 carryover awaiting them in the opening Pick-4 (races 1-4). Free Philly programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.