Jul 24, 2018 3 min read

MEADOW LANDS – Maybe it will be Hitman Hill, the favorite.

Or possibly American History with Yannick Gingras in the sulky.

How about Dorsoduro Hanover, Ron Burke’s top 3-year-old pacer?

It might even be GD Western Joe, which has the winningest driver in harness racing history.

Any of these horses has as good a chance at winning Saturday’s $400,000 Adios Pace for the Orchids at The Meadows Racetrack.

“Off the top of my head, after I saw the eliminations, I thought we’re going to have a different winner in the final,” said legendary track announcer Roger Huston. “Nothing against Hitman Hill or American History, but three horses impressed me in those races.

“Dorsoduro Hanover got beat by only a nose by Hitman Hill in 1:50. Thinkbig Dreambig with Jordan Stratton was flying coming down the lane. He was double the speed of the others coming down the stretch. And Done Well was closing real well. The post positions will have a lot to do with it.”

As elimination winners, the trainers of Hitman Hill and American History got to choose their post positions. Hitman Hill will go off from Post 3 and American History from the 4 slot. The rest of the nine-horse were randomly drawn Tuesday.

Dorsoduro Hanover with Matt Kakaley driving, leaves from Post 5 and Done Well and Tim Tetrick will go from the 6 spot.

“Nobody has stepped to the front of the class yet,” Huston said. “Nobody has dominated in the 3-year-old ranks. Maybe with the Adios and with what’s coming up, we’ll see a dominating force.

“Everyone likes a dominating horse that you can hang your hat on. … When you have them spread out like this year, there is no major fanbase for a horse. We will have a dominating force before it’s over but we just haven’t got there yet.”

Dorsoduro Hanover was second in the Meadowlands Pace and Saturday’s Adios elimination. Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Frank Balachimo, Dorsoduro Hanover crossed in 1:50-plus for the Adios elimination, snapping a string of four sub-1:50 miles.

“He has been there in every race he’s raced in this year,” said Huston. “He’s always a factor.”

Burke Stables last won the Adios in 2007 with May June Character and George Brennan in the sulky.

Burke’s other entry is GD Western Joe and is driven by Dave Palone. GD Western Joe has finished in the money in his last four starts but is a 15-1 longshot.

Hitman Hill, a third-place finisher in the Hempt Memorial, has eight lifetime wins and $262,403 for Tom Hill and Northfork Racing Stables in Wilkes-Barre.

American History out of Brittany Farms in Versailles, Ky., has not shied from taking the front early but the horse faded in the Meadowlands Pace and North America Cup.

Brian Brown will be looking for back-to-back wins with Done Well, who was second in the North America Cup. Brown won last year’s Adios with Fear The Dragon and hopes to become the first trainer since Brett Pelling in 2004 (Timesareachanging) and 2005 (Village Jolt) to win in consecutive years.

The Adios card begins at noon and the Adios is expected to go off around 4 p.m.