Small but strong field entered for The Adios
It might not have attracted a lot of horses but The Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids will bring two world-class horses to The Meadows.
Pebble Beach and Beach Glass, winners of the North American Cup and Meadowlands Pace, respectively, are the headliners for the 56th Adios, which will be contested Saturday, July 30.
While the field is smaller than usual – only 12 3-year-old pacers entered the race – the quality is evident. This Saturday the card will feature two six-horse elimination races that will reduce the final field to nine (the top four in each elimination and the fastest fifth-place finisher).
“Last year, I didn’t think we’d get 16 and we got 23,” said Tom Leasure, the track’s longtime race secretary. “You just never know. “We’ve got the North American Cup winner and the Meadowlands Pace winner and they drew opposite divisions. That should make for a good final.
“Would I have liked 16, I would have liked 24. It is what it is. We’ve only had 12 in other years.”
Meadows-stabled Fourever Boy, owned in part by The Meadows’ Tom Twaddle, is also entered in the annual event.
Fourever Boy, driven by Meadows-based driver Mike Wilder, finished fifth in the Meadowlands Pace final after placing third in the race elimination a few weeks ago.
Wilder became the fourth local driver to with The Adios, steering Catch the Fire to victory in 2020.
In addition to the headliners, trainer Nancy Takter has Market Based entered. Market Based was a Meadowlands Pace elimination winner but a disappointing eighth in the final. He will be driven by Dexter Dunn.
“He’s had a few days off to bounce back,” Takter said. “He was really nice and happy (Wednesday) on the track.
“It’s a nice draw for him for a change at The Meadows and he has good early speed, which I’m sure will benefit him.”
Despite the presence of Pebble Beach and Beach Glass, Twaddle said he feels there is an opportunity for Fourever Boy in The Adios.
“It’s his home track and I don’t expect any issues with the surface,” Twaddle said. “I know he hasn’t been able to show it but he’s getting better, smarter and he’s certainly shown he is fast enough.
“Those are two special colts (Pebble Beach and Beach Glass) but I’m not afraid of anyone.”
Pebble Beach is driven by Todd McCarthy while Beach Glass will be driven by recent Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductee Yannick Gingras.
Trainer Ron Burke, recently inducted into the Washington-Greene Co. Chapter Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Harness Racing Hall of Fame, entered two horses in the race.
His two contenders are undefeated ByTheMissal and River Ness.
ByTheMissal, who has won all four of his 3-year-old races, will be driven by Chris Page. He won his lone 2-year-old start.
River Ness will be driven by Gingras or Ronnie Wren, Burke said.
“I think ByTheMissal can go with anyone,” Burke said. “He’s special. River Ness went 1:48 as a 2-year-old.”
Said Page: “He comes with fresh legs. It’s a big step up. If Ronnie is confident, I’m confident.”
Dave Palone will drive Quick Snap for trainer Tony Alagna, who has four horses (a third of the field) in The Adios.
“(He’s) a nice colt,” Palone said. “He’s unproven and obviously needs to step up. If he does, he could be a sleeper.”
Adios elimination races will be held Saturday with the race card starting at 12:45 p.m. The first elimination for a purse of $25,000 includes, from the rail out, Fourever Boy, Beach Glass, I Did It Myway (Andy McCarthy), River Ness, Nautical Hanover (Todd McCarthy) and Ario Hanover (Dave Miller).
The second elimination for a purse of $25,000 includes Atlas Hanover (Scott Zeron), Market Based, Quick Snap, Pebble Beach, ByTheMissal and Dancin Sancho (Trevor Smith).
Down the stretch
Beach Glass is No. 5 in this week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll. He’s won three of five races this year and finished second twice with earnings of $518,750. Pebble Beach is seventh with three wins in four starts and a second. The horse has $441,900 in earnings in 2022. . . Post time for the Adios final card July 30 is 11:45 a.m.