Stacy Chiodo has always felt a whole lotta love for Whole Lotta Lou, so it’s been gratifying for the trainer to see the 5-year-old pacer enjoy a breakout season in 2023.
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In an absolute thriller, Whole Lotta Lou proved up to the task of taking the Saturday night pacing feature at The Meadowlands while bumping up in class, extending his win streak to three after some marvelous handling from Hall of Fame driver Dave Miller.
North America Cup eligible Caviart Camden, the co-fastest two-year-old ever by virtue of his 1:48.3 victory last season, is undefeated after two 2022 starts including a 1:50.4 victory at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon (June 1).
All victories are memorable, but one of the three triumphs in the $12,600 features at Harrah’s Philadelphia Friday afternoon may stand out a little bit more for one driver.
Michel Heijnen, a horseman from The Netherlands who usually drives only his own small stable of trotters (his previous catch-drive was four years ago), picked up the mount behind a three-year-old filly from trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination – Viva La Deo, a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere out of the $2.2M-winning Rocklamation, a $200,000 yearling. And this was his first-ever drive (in North America, anyway) behind a pacer!
But ignoring all that and any pressure from 3-5 favouritism, Heijnen placed Viva La Deo right behind Ideal In Miracles through fractions of :27.2, :57.4, and 1:25.2, then wheeled her out in the stretch and got the decision by the smallest possible margin in 1:54.2 for the memorable triumph.