Harrah's Hoosier Park: Amigo Volo keeps nose in front in Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt Trot

Amigo Volo joined his sire Father Patrick, along with Gimpanzee, Malabar Man, and Muscle Hill, as horses to win the Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Colt Trot and 3-Year-Old Colt Trot with a 1:53 decision in the latter event on Saturday night at Harrah's Hoosier Park.

Driven by Dexter Dunn for trainer Nifty Norman in the $500,000 race, Amigo Volo was third at the 27 1/5 opening quarter as Play Trix On Me (Joe Bongiorno) and Back Of The Neck (Ake Svanstedt) tussled for the lead. Back Of The Neck cleared past that marker, but Amigo Volo brushed in the backstretch and overtook him prior to the 56 second half-mile marker.

Business picked up on the last turn as Ready For Moni moved first-over to challenge Amigo Volo, but Amigo Volo was able to withstand his bid to the 1:24 4/5 three-quarters and into the lane. Amigo Volo looked like he was in good shape in mid-stretch as Ready For Moni began to back away, and he got clear, but then Play Trix On Me, who angled out two-wide in the lane and then back to the passing lane in the last eighth, began to close rapidly. The wire came up in time, though, as Amigo Volo still had his nose in front. Chestnut Hill finished third, giving Norman two-thirds of the trifecta, Hillexotic (Trond Smedshammer) came in fourth, and Ready For Moni ended up fifth.

"He's obviously been very good as a juvenile and then again this year," said Dunn. "He's so versatile - you can really get him out of the gate, put him in a hole, move him, whatever you want to do. We just held on, but he did what he's been doing all year.

"Credit to Nifty and the team to keep a horse like him so good as a 2-year-old, and then at the end of the 3-year-old year, he's just as good. He's survived two tough years, and just doing a great job."

Pinske Stables and David J. Miller own the Norman-trained Amigo Volo. From 26 career tries, Amigo Volo now has a record of 14-3-2, and he has pocketed $1,468,869. He was the 1-2 favorite and returned $3.00 to win.

"I try and be hands on with everything, all the way from buying the horse to racing him here tonight," said Carter Pinske, one of Norman's assistant trainers. "Anything I can do to help out, that's what I try and do."