Virgo, the one-time standout three-year-old pacer in Indiana, is still going strong on the East Coast. He emerged through the fog Thursday, Feb. 23 to win the $16,000 Winners Over pace at Dover Downs.
Virgo and Corey Callahan return to the winner’s circle following their win Thursday, Feb. 23 at Dover Downs.
Virgo started from post four and scooted into the four hole from the start for driver Corey Callahan as Sweet Angel Boy and Tim Tetrick were the first leaders taken over quickly after the quarter in :27.0 by Sprocket and Pat Berry. The field sat patiently in single file to the half in :56.1 and three-quarters in 1:22.4. Just past the three-quarters Virgo was detected as the first to accelerate, moving to the outside around the final turn and flushing Sweet Angel Boy to the outside, traveling three-wide to the stretch.
In the stretch, Virgo had a lot of momentum and drove right on by Sweet Angel Boy, but Sweet Angel Boy dug in gamely along the inside and didn’t give in easily. The two horses finished together at the wire with Virgo getting the edge by a neck in 1:51.3, a final quarter in :27.4. Sweet Angel Boy was less than a length ahead of third place finisher Metallica and Tony Morgan.
Virgo paid $7.80 for the win. The five-year-old Always a Virgin gelding is trained by Dylan Davis for owners Howard Taylor, Jeff Billings and Davis. Dustin Miller bred the gelding, who earned his first win in his second start of 2023.
Virgo began his career at Harrah’s Hoosier Park as a two-year-old for Davis, winning several Indiana Sires Stakes events and was the winner of the Fox Stake. After finishing third in the Super Final, he returned to the East Coast for a break and qualified in May of his three-year-old season at Harrah’s Philadelphia before returning to Indiana where once again, he was a consistent performer in the Indiana Sires Stakes series. He won an elimination of the Hoosier Cup and finished fourth in the final, and also it the board in several other open stakes in Indiana before returning to Dover Downs. After taking a break last winter, he traveled to several different tracks for stakes and other events, even two starts at Harrah’s Hoosier Park before taking a break in November last fall.
Virgo now has 12 wins in 41 starts and more than $400,000 in earnings. His career best time of 1:48.3 as a three-year-old at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. He was purchased from the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale for $13,000.
Virgo is from the 100 percent producing mare Star of the Show and is a half brother to American Passport, who has a mark of 1:51 and more than $350,000 in earnings. The family has a two-year-old that will be ready to race this year, a filly named Savannah Lady by Tellitlikeitis. There is also a yearling colt this year named Done by Seven by JK Endofanera.