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Harness Highlights: Stars Come Out To Shine In Matron Series

by Frank Carulli

November 16, 2020

Amigo Volo followed up his second consecutive Breeders Crown championship with a world-record performance in the $162,350 Matron Stakes for 3-year-old trotting colts Thursday at Dover Downs.

He shaved more than a full second off Pinkman’s 2015 mark set at Pocono Downs, winning by 6-1/2 lengths in 1:50.2, the same margin as his winning romp last year in the Matron.

Richard “Nifty” Norman trains the $1.5 million earner for Pinske Stables and David Miller.

Dexter Dunn was in the bike as Amigo Volo improved to 15-27, but Dunn was just getting started. He returned later on the card to guide 2-to-5 favorite Party Girl Hill to a track-record victory in the $154,450 Matron for 3-year-old pacing fillies.

Party Girl Hill, whose only loss in 16 starts was in the Breeders Crown final, won by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:49 to pad her bankroll to $880,345 for owner Tom Hill. She tracked a blistering :54.2 pace and made her winning move on the final turn.

In the $163,050 Matron for sophomore trotting fillies, Hambletonian Oaks winner Sorella (Yannick Gingras) seized the moment when favored Ramona Hill broke stride, winning on the front end in 1:53.1. Gingras and trainer Nancy Takter also visited the winners’ circle when Type A won the $167,200 colt trot when the Matron series began the previous week.

Illuminita sprung the series’ biggest upset when she paId $47.20, winning the 2-year-old filly trot for trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt.

The rest of the Matron Stakes belonged to trainer Ron Burke. He won with late-blooming 3-year-old male pacer Cattlewash (David Miller) and swept the freshman pacing division with Southwind Gendry (Yannick Gingras) and Continualou (David Miller), a filly who paced the final half in :54.4 to win in 1:50.2.