Dover: Records fall in 2-year-old Matrons

It was a night of records and redemption as the 2-year-olds took to the track at Dover Downs for four divisions of the Matron series on Thursday night (11/7). Lyons Sentinel and Papi Rob Hanover rebounded from Breeders Crown defeats while Amigo Volo kept the good times rolling from his Crown win in Grand Circuit action.

Topping the action was Amigo Volo in the $181,600 race for colt and gelding trotters. With Dexter Dunn in the bike, the gelded son of Father Patrick made his way to the front on the first turn and never looked back, posting fractions of 27 3/5, 56 1/5 and 1:24 3/5 en route to a 1:52 4/5 win 6 1/2 lengths ahead of over Patriarch Hanover and Moveoutofmyway K.

The final clocking for Amigo Volo, who returned $2.20 on the win end, was the fastest trotting mile by a 2-year-old in the history of the track.

“He is just super-talented,” said Dunn. “He probably couldn’t have done it any easier at the finish.”

Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman trains Amigo Volo for Pinske Stables and David J. Miller.

“After this we are looking at the Valley Victory, but we’ll see how he comes out of the race,” said co-owner Carter Pinske about the upcoming stake at The Meadowlands.

The first round of redemption came in the $176,400 filly pace where Lyons Sentinel ($2.40) waited through the 26 1/5 opening quarter as Lady Lou wrestled the lead from Hen Party and made a rush to the front of her own. Once in control, driver Tim Tetrick posted strong fractions of 54 2/5 and 1:22 3/5 before stopping the clock in 1:50 3/5 to set a track record for her age group.

Perfect Storm rallied from off cover to get second as Hen Party held third.

“With these 2yos you never know what is going to happen, but I had plenty of confidence in this filly and she didn’t let me down today,” said Tetrick.

Trainer Jim King, Jr. said that the Threelyonsracing-owned filly, who was a hard-used second in the Breeders Crown at Woodbine Mohawk Park last time, would head to the Three Diamonds at The Meadowlands for her final two starts (if eliminations are needed).

For Papi Rob Hanover the Matron win was nothing out of the ordinary but still created a new winning streak. He finished first in the Breeders Crown in his last start but was disqualified in a controversial decision for causing interference to Tall Dark Stranger. In the $186,000 Matron for colt and gelding pacers, he wouldn’t let anyone come close enough to him for an infraction to occur.

After yielding to outside speed, David Miller brushed to the front with Papi Rob Hnaover and never looked back. With fractions of 27 1/5, 55, 1:22 4/5 and 1:50, his competition could hardly keep up as he won by 5 1/4 lengths over Cattlewash and a tough-luck Father Nuno (bad cover) in a track-record equaling time.

“David (Miller) said he could’ve went (1:)49 pretty comfortable,” said trainer Brett Pelling after the win. “He is 100% going to the Governor’s Cup at The Meadowlands.”

Papi Rob Hanover ($2.40) upped his lifetime earnings over $550K with the win for owner David Mc Duffee.

In the lone non-wagering race, Next Level Stuff and Queen Of The Hill raced one-two around the track while isolated from the other two opponents. After fractions of 27 2/5, 56 1/5 and 1:25 1/5, Next Level Stuff trotted away from her 2-year-old filly rival to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:53 2/5.

“I set stiff fractions but my filly is pretty talented and she felt good,” said Tim Tetrick, who took home two Matron wins.

“She’s been a bit of a project to say the least,” said trainer Jim Campbell. “She turned the corner at the right time and Timmy and her get along pretty well.”

Next Level Stuff, a daughter of Sebastian K, nearly doubled her lifetime earnings with the $73,800 first-place check for owner Runthetable Stables. She is done for the year and will aim for Pennsylvania Sire Stakes races in 2020.