Red Mile: Mommamia Volo swiftest in Bluegrass Series for sophomore filly trotters

Three-year-old filly trotters dueled in a trio of $78,000 Bluegrass Series races on Saturday afternoon at The Red Mile, and getting the victories were Walner Payton, Mommamia Volo and Mambacita.

In the first flight, Hambletonian Oaks champion Heaven Hanover (Tim Tetrick) got to the lead just after the 28 1/5 opening quarter and kept it through a 57 1/5 half and a 1:25 3/5 three-quarters. Rose Run Yolanda (Yannick Gingras) was first-over and she was tracked by Walner Payton (Dexter Dunn).

Heaven Hanover accelerated and dug in when asked by Tetrick in the lane, but Walner Payton powered home off the second-over trip, took control inside the final eighth, and drew clear to tally by a length and a half in 1:51 4/5. Rose Run Yolanda was game despite the uncovered trip and ended up second and Flyingdrumsticks S (Ake Svanstedt) overcame a break past the start to rally for third.

"We leave the gate with her quite a lot. In the sire stakes final here last start, we left out and we got too close to a hot pace. We found the right helmet to follow and she felt great today," Dunn offered. "She's a sweetheart. She doesn't really mind which way you do it with her. He took the headcheck off today, took the boots off, she had no shoes on, and she felt fantastic."

By Chapter Seven and bred by Steve Stewart and Douglass Hutchins, Walner Payton is trained by Chris Ryder and owned by Ken Jacobs. She has a summary of 7-10-4 from 26 career starts, and she has pocketed $721,071. She paid $12.30 to win as a 5-1 offering.

Fresh off her 1:50 victory in the Kentucky Championship Series final, Mommamia Volo (Todd McCarthy) bagged the next test in 1:51. Railee Something (Gingras) got to the front past Secret Volo (Brian Sears) after the 29 second quarter and kept the tempo easy through a 57 second half and a 1:25 three-quarters. Mommamia Volo got rolling first-up from third on the final bend, and despite the well-rated clip, blew right by Railee Something in the lane. Mommamia Volo then powered away to the wire, winning by 3 1/4 lengths over Railee Something. Secret Volo wound up third.

"It's a great family that been good to both the owners and myself. She's just been coming along. She's kind of like her brother (Amigo Volo); she just gets better as the year goes on," stated winning trainer Carter Pinske. "She had a lot of talent (as a 2-year-old). She's a great big filly. She battled a bit of soreness, and I think kind of hindered her last year, but she always showed that she had it in her.

"All the credit goes to Todd. He's protected her pretty good her whole career."

The victorious daughter of Tactical Landing, bred by owners Kentuckiana Farms and Jorgen Jahre Jr., made her fifth appearance in the winner's circle and increased her bankroll to $376,882. She returned $3.30 to win as the favorite.

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Mambacita (Scott Zeron) delivered as the 1-5 favorite in the last clash. She moved from the pocket to the point beyond the 27 4/5 opening quarter, stayed on the engine to the half in 56 2/5 and three-quarters in 1:24 1/5, and held sway in a 27 2/5 kicker. Blonde Bombshell (David Miller) angled out of three-hole late on the final bend and rallied through the lane, but came up a neck short of the winner, and Una Madonna (Dexter Dunn) was up for third.

"That's awesome. We're really excited," said Michelle Crawford of Crawford Farms. "I was happy that Robbie (Pryde) was here to share it with us, too."

Tony Alagna trains Mambacita, a Tactical Landing filly, for co-owner/breeder Crawford Farms and co-owners Alagna Racing and Pryde Stables. Mambacita made her tenth appearance in the winner's circle from 28 trips behind the gate, pushed her earnings to $762,918, and paid $2.52 to win.