Mommamia Volo swiftest in $234,000 Bluegrass Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky.— Kentucky Sires Stakes champion Mommamia Volo (Tactical Landing) notched another Lexington victory with a vicious final-quarter charge when taking the second division of three for the $234,000 King Of The North Bluegrass Stakes, for 3-year-old trotting fillies, in 1:51 on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 30) at The Red Mile.

Driver Todd McCarthy floated Mommamia Volo away to sit third as Railee Something rolled past Secret Volo for the lead through a :29 first quarter. Railee Something stole tepid fractions through the middle half as she braced for the impending challenge from 3-5 choice Mommavia Volo after a :57 half.

She upped the tempo to three-quarters in 1:25 and remained in front into the stretch until Mommamia Volo hit her top gear and glided clear to a headstrong win by 3-1/4 lengths. Railee Something held second from Secret Volo in third and Cando Volo finished fourth.

“It’s a great family that’s been good to the owners and myself,” trainer Carter Pinske said. “She’s kind of like her brother [Amigo Volo]; she just gets better as the year goes on. She had a lot of talent. She’s a great big filly [and] battled a bit of soreness. I think that hindered her last her, but she always did show she had it in her.”

MOMMAMIA VOLO REPLAY

Mommamia Volo has now won five times from 16 starts and added to a bankroll now worth $376,882 for owner-breeders Kentuckiana Racing Stable and Jorgen Jahre Jr. She returned $3.30 to win.

Chris Ryder trainee Walner Payton (Walner) returned to the scene of her best miles as a 2-year-old and rekindled that flame with a powerhouse rally to take the first division of the King Of The North in 1:51.4.

Dexter Dunn wrangled Walner Payton off the speed and sat stubbornly in sixth through a :28.1 first quarter set by Heaven Hanover, who cruised to the half unfettered in :57.1. Walner Payton soon got underway off the pegs and flushed cover from even-money favorite Rose Run Yolanda to the final turn.

Swelling off the helmet through three-quarters in 1:25.3, Dunn showed Walner Payton racetrack into the stretch and she swallowed her foes in the last eighth to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Rose Run Yolanda. Flyingdrumsticks S stormed home after a break at the start to nab third from Heaven Hanover at the inside fourth.

“We leave the gate with her quite a lot, but in the Sires Stakes final last start we left out and got too close to a hot pace, so we found the right helmet to follow and she felt great today,” Dexter Dunn said. “She’s a sweetheart; she doesn’t really mind which way you do it with her. [Chris Ryder] took the head check off, took the boots off, she had no shoes on and she felt fantastic.”

WALNER PAYTON REPLAY

Walner Payton has now won seven times from 26 starts and earned $721,071 for owner Kenneth Jacobs. The filly paid $12.30 to win.

Mambacita (Tactical Landing), favored at 1-5, bagged the final King Of The North division with a 1:51.3 stroll to hold off a rough-gaited charge from Blonde Bombshell.

Sitting second through a :27.4 first quarter, Mambacita angled back outside to take the lead to a :56.2 half with Pride N Joy settling for the pocket and Blonde Bombshell racing third. Canterbury Hanover crept first over from sixth and ranged up to third through the final turn, but still remained two lengths off the lead past three-quarters in 1:24.1.

Mambacita shifted gears and straightened strongly for home while Blonde Bombshell slipped off the pegs and to the center of the track to try and track down the leader in the lane. Mambacita held firmly on the lead and kept a neck in front of Blonde Bombshell as she jumped stride in second. Una Madonna rallied for third and Canterbury Hanover settled for fourth.

MAMBACITA REPLAY

Tony Alagna trains Mambacita for owners Alagna Racing LLC, Crawford Farms Racing and Pryde Stables Inc. She won for the 10th time from 28 tries and has earned $762,918. Scott Zeron drove the $2.52 winner.

Each division of the King Of The North was sponsored by Kountry Lane Standardbreds.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile