Meadowlands: Volume Eight is number one in Valley Victory final

Volume Eight and driver Andrew McCarthy didn’t have their "A" game heading into Saturday's $416,200 Valley Victory final at the Meadowlands, but the 2-year-old son of Chapter Seven was more than good enough to win the event for colts and geldings decisively while breaking the stakes record with a 1:52 2/5 mile.

"He didn’t have the best of weeks," said Noel Daley, who co-owns and was the winning trainer. "He was much better heading into the Kindergarten final."

Despite Daley's concerns driver McCarthy guided the 3-5 betting choice smartly from post nine, leaving slowly while Up Your Deo and Ake Svanstedt assumed quick command, followed by Kimmeridgian and Tim Tetrick. Kilmister and Brian Sears were next to get the lead as they crossed the pole in 27 2/5, with McCarthy laying in wait. Volume Eight rolled to the front at the three-eighths and more than intimidated those in the rear, cutting the half in 56 4/5 and waiting for the outer flow to commence.

Second choice Celebrity Bambino, a runner-up in the Breeders Crown in October, went on the offensive for Yannick Gingras during the third quarter, with Upstaged and Purple Lord following that cover second- and third-over. Celebrity Bambino wasn't making much progress as McCarthy rated the three-quarters in 1:25 2/5 and began the sprint home.

Celebrity Bambino stalled and eventually lost his action in the stretch, breaking stride, that paved the way for Kimmeridgian to angle out of the three-hole for Tim Tetrick and mount an offensive. Volume Eight and McCarthy hardly flinched with the challenge and simply kept rolling to the wire, trotting a final quarter in 27 seconds flat and completing the mile in 1:52 2/5, setting a new Valley Victory stakes record in the process. Kimmeridgian held on for second, with Kilmister third across the wire. Up Your Deo and Upstaged completed the top five in the rich stakes event.

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Now a winner seven times in nine starts this year, Volume Eight returned $3.20 to win. Noel Daley, Sjoblom Racing, Joe Sbrocco, LA Express & JAF Racing, along with Mario Mazza, share ownership in Volume Eight, who was bred by the late Bob Key.

"He's a serious horse," said Daley. "He's the best 2-year-old I've ever had."

Daley had high praise for his potential 2023 Hambletonian favorite.

"The mile he went in the Kindergarten was as good as any 2-year-old trotting mile I've ever seen," said Daley.