Harrah's Philadelphia: Dunn triples in PA Sire Stakes Championships for sophomores

Party Girl Hill capped off a hat trick for Dexter Dunn in the $252,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Championships for 3-year-olds on Sunday afternoon at Harrah's Philadelphia, winning the filly pace in a track record 1:48 4/5 to run her record to nine-for-nine. Dunn also tallied with No Lou Zing and Amigo Volo in the male pace and male trot, respectively, while Ron Burke collected another major victory this weekend in the filly trot with David Miller-driven Crucial.

Starting from post one, Party Girl Hill zipped from third to first after a 26 4/5 opening quarter and went on to reach the half in 55 1/5 and the three-quarters in 1:22. That 26 4/5 third panel stymied a first-over advance from JK First Lady (Andrew McCarthy), and Party Girl Hill pulled away in the lane to prevail by 2 1/2 lengths. JK First Lady did take second, with early leader Rocknificent back in third. Party Girl Hill's final time of 1:48 4/5 just missed the world record for the division by a fifth of a second.

Chris Ryder trains Party Girl Hill, a daughter of Captaintreacherous, for owner/breeder Tom Hill. Party Girl Hill has earned $481,681 to go with her undefeated status and returned $2.40 to win as the 1-5 favorite.

In the colt and gelding trot, Dunn put Amigo Volo on the point passing the 27 3/5 quarter and then backed down the half to just 57 2/5. Hillexotic (Trond Smedshammer) moved up first-over in the backstretch, but he stalled before the 1:24 4/5 three-quarters and then broke after that point. That left Amigo Volo and pocket-sitter EL Ideal (Andy Miller) to decide it, and Amigo Volo was too tough today, drawing off to a 2 3/4 length decision in 1:52 3/5. Patriarch Hanover (Matt Kakaley) was third.

Amigo Volo is now four-for-nine in the win column in 2020 and has ten career triumphs. A gelding by Father Patrick, Amigo Volo is trained by Nifty Norman for owners Pinske Stables and David J. Miller, and the winner's share of the purse boosted his bankroll to $946,719. He paid $2.80 to win as the 2-5 choice.

No Lou Zing was the other Dunn-driven PA Sire Stakes champion as he annexed the colt and gelding pace in 1:49 3/5. The Greek Freak (Kakaley) pressed on to the top around Chief Mate (Scott Zeron) after a swift 25 4/5 opening quarter, then released favored Allywag Hanover (Tim Tetrick) before the 53 4/5 half. Allywag Hanover remained the boss to the 1:21 1/5 three-quarters and around the last turn, giving the cold shoulder to a first-up Sandbetweenmytoes (Andrew McCarthy), but Dunn sent No Lou Zing three-wide from second-over before they turned for home, and he was full of pace, rushing by the leaders on his way to a two length win. The Greek Freak came up the passing lane for second, and Cattlewash (D. Miller) collected third.

A Sweet Lou gelding, No Lou Zing is trained by Nancy Takter for owners 3 Brothers Stables, Rojan Stables, and Caviart Farms. Unable to hit the board in three starts last year, No Lou Zing has a record of 5-3-1 from nine appearances in 2020, and he has pocketed $272,418. He was the 2-1 second choice and returned $6.60 to win.

Rounding out the sire stakes champion sophomores was Crucial, who had a pocket trip behind Next Level Stuff (Tetrick) and a parked-out Queen Of The Hill (Dunn) through stations of 27, 56, and 1:24. In the lane David Miller sent Burke-trained Crucial, a 20-1 shot, out two-wide, and she trotted past Next Level Stuff en route to a 1 1/2 length victory in 1:52 4/5. Sweet Shirley Mae (Andy Miller), dispatched at 16-1, was the runner-up, and 27-1 Dip Me Hanover (Zeron) closed for third.

Burke Racing Stable LLC., W.J. Donovan, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. own Crucial, a filly by Father Patrick. Crucial, the fourth-place finisher in the Hambletonian Oaks last month, is now a seven-time winner from 20 efforts, and she has stashed away $402,196. She paid $42.80 to win.

In addition to his sire stakes championship with Amigo Volo, trainer Nifty Norman also won two of the four $50,000 Consolations. He took the filly pace with Annabelle Hanover (Dunn) over stablemate Marloe Hanover (McCarthy) in a 1:50 3/5 mile, and the colt and gelding trot with Chestnut Hill (D. Miller) in 1:53 2/5. Annabelle Hanover, by Somebeachsomewhere, is owned by Pinske Stables, Lawrence Means, and Curly Tall Curly Small, while Chestnut Hill, by Muscle Hill, is owned by breeders Mel Hartman and David McDuffee along with Little E LLC.

Sherry Lyns Lady, a daughter of Father Patrick, took the filly trot Consolation in 1:54 4/5 for Tetrick, trainer Jim Campbell, and owner Coyote Wynd Farms, and Manticore, a colt by Western Ideal, won the colt and gelding pace Consolation in 1:49 2/5 for driver Jordan Stratton, trainer Bruce Saunders, and owners M And L Of Delaware LLC. and M & M Harness Racing LLC.