Red Mile: Amigo Volo trots World Record in Bluegrass

Making his first foray into Grand Circuit company, Carter Pinske trainee Amigo Volo vaulted to the top entering the stretch to win in a world-record 1:52 3/5 when taking the third of three divisions of the $315,500 Bluegrass 2-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot—sponsored by Al Libfeld and Marvin Katz—on Thursday, Sept. 26 at The Red Mile.

Odds-on favorite Ready For Moni floated to the front passing a 28 opening quarter while King Alphonso yielded for the pocket and Amigo Volo raced third. Ontopofthehill, positioned fifth, tipped first over into a 56 3/5 half and flushed Amigo Volo two wide into the final turn.

Amigo Volo advanced to match strides with Ready For Moni passing three-quarters in 1:25 4/5 while King Alphonso slid from the pocket through a gap in cover straightening for the finish. Both King Alphonso and Ready For Moni lost stride through the lane as Amgio Volo strode clear of his competition, chased by Cafe Americano in second and Rome Pays Off in third.

“He always showed talent down in Florida,” Pinske said after the race. “He just lacked maturity. He’s a little funky with his mouth; a little funky with his shoeing and stuff like that. It was one of those things where he’d train good one week and then he’d have a poor week. When we got him up north and we got him gelded, he turned into a horse then.”

Owned by the Pinske Stables and David J. Miller, Amigo Volo won his third race from seven starts, earning $168,646. The gelding bred by Kentuckiana Farms LLC and Jorgen Jahre had Dexter Dunn in the bike and paid $14.40 to win.

Gangster Hanover hustled past 4-5 favorite Back Of The Neck to win the $104,500 opening Bluegrass division drawing away in a 1:52 3/5 mile.

Trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt sat fourth with Gangster Hanover while Back Of The Neck led the field to a 27 1/5 opening quarter with stablemate Expectations sliding into the pocket. Svanstedt floated the Father Patrick colt from the cones passing a 55 4/5 half and blitzed Back Of The Neck circling the final turn. Gangster Hanover struck the front past three-quarters in 1:25 4/5 and widened his lead through the stretch as Stonefire US, off at 97-1, rallied towards the center of the course for second. Hobbs snagged third from Back Of The Neck fading to fourth.

Co-owned by Svanstedt with S R F Stables and breeder Brittany Farms (which bought into 25 percent of the colt as a yearling after the Harrisburg Sale), Gangster Hanover won his third race from five starts, earning $114,522. He paid $18.20 to win.

“It’s the only horse I bought at Harrisburg,” George Segal of Brittany Farms said after the race. “I liked the pedigree; I liked the horse. My advisors helped me and everything worked out fine. Normally [these horses] show their best right here. [Ake Svanstedt’s a] great trainer. He’s got great horses that he’s developed here—Six Pack among others.”

Dexter Dunn also drove Svanstedt trainee EL Ideal to a maiden-breaking 1:52 2/5 mile when taking the second division of Bluegrass.

It’s Academic swept to the front from the outermost post in the field of eight while EL Ideal sat second to a 27 1/5 first quarter. Berkery J, racing third to the backside, pulled first over and crossed over to control passing a 55 4/5 half before It’s Academic tipped from second to retake command rounding the final turn. EL Ideal tracked the pocket-popper’s move and ranged past the new leader through three-quarters in 1:25. The Muscle Hill colt maintained command through the lane while pursued by 1-2 favorite Capricornus in second. Big Oil kicked off cover for third.

“He’s been in some really good races as a 2-year-old,” Dunn said after the race. “He was a little off his game last out but Ake and Sarah said that today he felt great and he showed it. He’s a big-strong guy and the big track definitely felt like it helped him a lot.”

Bred by Erkki Laakkonen and owned by Emp Invest Oy, EL Ideal has earned $122,682 from six starts. He paid $18.20 to win.

Grand Circuit action resumes at The Red Mile on Friday, Sept. 27 with a nine-race card highlighted by four divisions of the $330,000 Bluegrass 2-Year-Old Filly Trot and two divisions of the $280,500 Bluegrass 2-Year-Old Filly Pace. Racing gets underway with first-race post at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).

-edited release (Ray Cotolo for Red Mile)