By Ray Cotolo, for the Meadowlands
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The trotting side
of the Fall Final Four saw a favorite foiled and a favorite deliver.
Misfortune for 1-2 favorite Amigo Volo
paid fortune for 3-1 second choice EL Ideal in the $505,050 Valley Victory
Final—sponsored by Kentuckiana Farms—on Saturday, Nov. 23 at the Meadowlands.
At the gate’s acceleration Amigo Volo
lost stride, racing distanced from the field while driver Andy Miller landed EL
Ideal on the lead. “It was just kind of my race from there,” Miller later said
in the winner’s circle.
The Ake Svanstedt-trained Muscle Hill
colt controlled the tempo through a :28.1 first quarter and :57.4 half as Amigo
Volo hustled to come back into contact with the field.
EL Ideal faced his main challenge from
Ready For Moni in the final turn. The latter drew to the leader’s wheel passing
three-quarters in 1:26.1 but could only give pursuit in the straightaway. EL
Ideal dashed away, hitting the finish two-and-one-quarter lengths better than
Ready For Moni in a 1:53.2 mile, with Chestnut Hill—sitting pocket the whole
mile—taking third and Moveoutofmyway K fourth.
“Halfway down the lane behind the gate
I saw [Amigo Volo] was a little unsteady,” Andy Miller said after the race, “so
I didn’t know when he ran or what happened but I thought he probably ran when
he didn’t move at the quarter.
“This horse is quick off the car and
then he relaxes really good,” Miller also said. “Ake’s done a great job
managing him and keeping him under control.”
Owned by Emp Invest Oy, EL Ideal won
his fourth race from 10 starts, pushing his career bankroll to $523,934. He
paid $8.00 to win.
A couple weeks ago after Senorita Rita
won the Kindergarten Classic final trainer Linda Toscano said some trotting
fillies “got it or they don’t.” Her Chapter Seven pupil continued to prove she
may “got it” with a win in the $475,100 Goldsmith Maid, sponsored by Hunterton
Farms.
Driver Scott Zeron positioned Senorita
Rita third while Sister Sledge protected position from the pylons to grab the
front moving to a :28 first quarter. Positions remained unchanged through a
:56.4 half but Zeron made his move entering the final turn.
Sister Sledge scooted away from Queen
Of The Hill in second while Senorita Rita tried to recoup ground trotting to
three-quarters in 1:25.1. Circling into the stretch Sister Sledge appeared to
have Senorita Rita measured, but Zeron kept his filly straight under urging to
then surge by and nail Sister Sledge by a head in a career-best mile of 1:53.
Hall Of Am S took third with Common Sense S fourth.
“[Sister Sledge] got a great jump on me
at the three-quarter pole and it felt like an insurmountable deficit to make
up,” Zeron said after the race. “But when I straightened up and my filly
corrected I pulled the plugs and she went into orbit. It was a matter of
‘Where’s that wire?’ because I had to maintain her speed. As long as I did that
I thought I’d get up.”
Owner Kenneth Jacobs opted to sideline
Senorita Rita in July to ready her for a late-season campaign on the Grand
Circuit. In eight starts Senorita Rita has won six, finishing no worse than
second while also accruing $421,985.
“She was just beautiful; I really
wanted to get her,” Jacobs said of purchasing Senorita Rita as a yearling for
$285,000. “They pushed me a little bit on the price but that’s okay. I figure
we’re even now.”
“It’s nice to have a fresh filly
this time of year,” Jacobs also said.
Senorita Rita returned $4.20 to win.
