Shocker: Hellabalou is Adios winner
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Hellabalou is guided to the win by Tim Tetrick for owner Eric K Good and trainer Eddie Dennis in the 55th running of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Harness racing fans watch the action from the rail during the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids in 2021.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Hellabalou, winner of the 55th running of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids takes a peek at the bouquet he won for his connections at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino.
The 55th running of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids ran Saturday July 31st at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino. Hellabalou would win the race with driver Tim Tetrick for owner Eric K Good and trainer Eddie Dennis.
MEADOW LANDS – Now maybe Hellabalou will get some respect.
The son of Sweet Lou and Magestic Blue went off as an 80-1, no way in God’s green earth is he going to qualify for the Meadowlands Pace.
He finished first in one of the elimination races and sixth in the final in New Jersey.
Last week, in the Adios eliminations, Hellabalou used a pocket charge to win his elimination heat. That got him a sniff from the horsemen and 7-1 odds in the Adios final.
So all Hellabalou and driver Tim Tetrick did was go out and blow the doors off the 55th field of Delvin Miller’s Adios Pace for the Orchids for 3-year-olds on a beautiful Saturday.
Hellabalou’s time of 1:48.4 was just a whisper away from the 1:49.1 he turned in for his elimination race.
Hellabalou paid $14.80 to win, $6 for place and $3.40 to show.
“He’s just a handy, quick horse who has been getting quick trips,” said Tetrick. “He’s just responding so it’s been really good.”
Even Tetrick’s drive came, ahem, out of the blue. Andrew McCarthy drove Hellabalou to the Adios elimination victory but he had promised to drive another elimination winner, Tony Alagna’s Abuckabett Hanover, in the Adios.
So Eddie Dennis, who trains Hellabalou for Erik Good of Denton, Maryland, asked Tetrick if he was interested in driving Hellabalou.
“He’s drove for me in the past on different things,” said Dennis. “Andy McCarthy has been my main man but we just haven’t been able to get in the finals together.”
Tetrick got a cut of first-place money, $187,500. McCarthy’s cut came from the $18,750 of Abuckabett Hanover’s fifth-place finish.
“I’ve known Eddie for 20 years,” Tetrick said. “I met him when I first moved to Maryland.”
Maybe the weirdness of the race can be traced to an unusual prerace ritual by the family of Lonnie Barnes yesterday. Barnes, who died last year at age 56, had his ashes spread inside the winner’s circle before the Adios race.
The race itself was telling at the quarter mark, which was a slow 26.0, good for Hellabalou and bad for the leaders of the pack.
At the midway point, the time elapsed was 1:21, as the field heated up. Hellabalou reached the three-quarter pole in third place, two lengths back.
When they made the turn for home, Tetrick showed the whip and Hellabalou moved to second, then caught leader Rockyroad Hanover to win by a nose.
“I left really hard from post 5, which is a good spot,” said Tetrick. “I actually thought (the first quarter) would be faster. But we got around there pretty good. Whenever we caught a 26 and 54 (for the midpost), I thought we’d have a shot coming up the passing lane. He just exploded, went right up through there.”
Water Sports Teen and Joe Bongiorno turned in the fastest time in eliminations but didn’t have that burst at the end. The son of Somebeachsomewhere and Posey Tina finished third.
Bongiornio, at age 27, was looking to become the youngest driver to win an Adios title.
Ron Burke had two entries: Southwind Gendry, which finished fourth; and Lou’s Pearlman, which crossed sixth.
For the day, Burke had two winners, two runners-ups, two third-place finishers and two fourth-place finishers.
Blue Diamond Eyes, a Burke horse, won the Quinton Patterson Adioo Volo for 3-year-old fillies. Yannick Gingras drove the offspring of Captaintreacherous and Aria Hanover across first in a very good 1:49.4.
It was Blue Diamond Eyes second consecutive victory of the season. She finished in the money in all eight races this season. Blue Diamond Eyes hails from the Thomas R and Scott A. Dillon stable in Anson, Maine.
The handle for the day was $1.069 million.