by Ray Cotolo, for The Meadowlands
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Andy McCarthy motored Ramona Hill to the front from post 10
and battled all challengers for control, trotting to a 1:50.3 victory in the
$253,500 Del Miller Memorial for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday (July 18) at
the Meadowlands.
Clearing command into the first turn, Ramona Hill led the field
past a :26.3 first quarter before Love A Good Story angled off the pylons to
brush for the lead. Sorella, the 2-5 favorite, then moved uncovered as Love A
Good Story cleared control in the backside. However Ramona Hill, sitting in the
pocket, swiftly circled in front of Sorella and Love A Good Story to retake
control just beyond a :54.2 half.
Rounding the far turn, Sorella marched forward to match strides
with Ramona Hill, while Hypnotic AM rode second-over cover. Past three-quarters
in 1:22.2, Sorella began to hang, forcing Hypnotic AM wide and the third-over
Panem even wider as Ramona Hill widened her lead. Panem rolled most quickly of
any down the center of the track, cutting into Ramona Hill’s margin nearing the
finish but still finishing 1-1/2 lengths behind. Hypnotic AM took third from
Sorella.
“We had Pilot Discretion last year and we raced in the
[Hambletonian]. And then, at the end of the year, Ramona [Hill] came on and she
was just fantastic,” co-owner Robert LeBlanc said after the race. “[Alagna]
brought her along slowly — she was a late foal — and we wanted to give her
time. We thought we had something special, and Tony said we were going to
manage her for the end of the year. And Andy just drives her fantastic ... This
is pretty special; she’s a special animal.”
