Red Mile: Volume Eight swiftest in ISS for rookie trotting males

It was a good day to be named Andy in the International Stallion Stakes for rookie trotting colts and geldings at The Red Mile as Andy McCarthy won the first two $98,600 flights with Excalibur Bi and Volume Eight and then Andy Miller captured the finale with Espresso.

Excalibur Bi brushed from third to first beyond the 27 4/5 opening quarter in the first grouping, chopped out middle-half panels of 57 4/5 and 1:26 2/5, and held sway in a 26 3/5 sprint to the wire, defeating Purple Lord (David Miller) by a length in 1:53. Point Of Perfect (Todd McCarthy) was third.

"Yeah, he was good, he's been coming along great," McCarthy said after the race. “Tom [Cancelliere] has done a great job with him. It has always been a no pressure deal with it, just bring him along the way. He thinks right, and I probably over-drove him a couple of starts back and figured out we need to reset. But it was good the way it worked out today. I got to use him [and] save him until the back half."

A Muscle Hill colt bred by M Biasuzzi Stable Inc., Excalibur Bi is trained by Tom Cancelliere for his brother John. A $210,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale buy in 2021, Excalibur Bi has a pair of wins from eight starts, has banked $127,430, and paid $5.68 to win as the co-favorite.

Volume Eight, dispatched at 38-1, tracked Gates Hanover (Ake Svanstedt) from the pocket through fractions of 29, 57 1/5, and 1:25 1/5 after yielding going to the opening quarter. In the lane Volume Eight had room to swing to the outside, he blew by Gates Hanover after finding clear sailing, and went on to a decisive 2 1/2 length decision in 1:52 1/5. Winner's Bet (Dexter Dunn) was up for second, followed by French Wine (Andy Miller).

"[He's] still a little green, but I knew he had a lot of speed," McCarthy said after the race. "And then sir Noel [trainer Noel Daley] said today 'Maybe just leave with him and see what happens.' I’m like, 'Oh I’ll check it out,' but then I went out and I'd seen he was barefoot; I went, 'Yep, let's do it.'"

Daley also co-owns Volume Eight, a Chapter Seven colt bred by the late Robert J. Key, with partners Joe Sbrocco, LA Express & JAF Racing, and Mario Mazza. Volume Eight, a $70,000 purchase at last year's Standardbred Horse Sale, won for the third time from five attempts and has now pocketed $80,715, and returned $79.94 for the upset.

"I was just hoping to get a check. I know Noel and Andy really like the horse a lot - always racing them comfortably and teaching them - but I think he learned a lot today just leaving out of there and having that gate speed and finishing even better," remarked co-owner John Fodera. "So, it was a shock to me."

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

In the final flight Espresso gave way to sit behind favored Crown (Brian Sears) beyond the 28 3/5 quarter and remained in that position through a 57 4/5 half and a 1:26 2/5 three-quarters. In the lane Crown couldn't keep the inside closed, which gave room for Espresso to shoot through, and he was able to surge by to take the win by a head in 1:54. Crown had to settle for second and Kierkegaard K (Svanstedt) finished third.

Espresso, a Chapter Seven gelding bred by Brittany Farms and trained by Julie Miller, is owned by Andy Miller Stable Inc., Lou Willinger, Mortgage Boys Stable, and L Berg Inc. Acquired for $45,000 at the 2021 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Espresso has a record of 5-3-0 from nine tries, has put away $211,800, and paid $7.94 to win as the 5-2 second choice.

"We love coming down here and racing at The Red Mile with a dual-eligible horse," Julie Miller said after the race. "We decided to bring him here instead of the New York circuit, and he's just really matured and just loving the track here."

--quotes gathered by Ray Cotolo--