Al Papi led a sweep of the exactor for trainer Ron Burke in the Grade 1 $592,254 Delvin Miller Adios, presented by 1/ST BET, for three-year-old pacers on Saturday, July 25 at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. 

Driven by Yannick Gingras in the 60th edition of the Adios, Al Papi won on the front-end in 1:48.1, defeating stablemate Melillo.

Starting from post four off a 1:47.2 win in his elimination a week ago, Al Papi blasted out and cleared another Burke Brigade member in Frantic Hanover (Tim Tetrick) well before the :26.3 quarter. North America Cup champion Odds On Mr Mamba (James MacDonald) lined up third, followed by Burke-trained Melillo (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.), who was able to slide down from post nine.

At the half-mile marker, which was reached in :54.2, Al Papi was still on top, but behind him a two-wide Sweet Lovin Lou (Scott Zeron) was trying to flush Melillo, who in turn was trying to get Odds On Mr Mamba to pull, which he did past that station. Al Papi was strong on the front-end, though, and Odds On Mr Mamba was only able to advance up to Gingras' wheel as they raced on the backstretch for the final time.

Al Papi appeared poised for a decisive victory heading to three-quarters in 1:20.2 as he got separation from Odds On Mr Mamba and pocket-sitter Frantic Hanover, but he got rough-gaited briefly on the final turn, which allowed the competition to get back into the race. Despite losing his momentum, Al Papi responded when asked by Gingras and wouldn't let anybody go by, defeating the rallying Melillo by a head. Odds On Mr Mamba was a game third off the uncovered trip.

"In the middle of the last turn, honestly I thought I was going to win by 10 lengths. That's how he felt," Gingras said. "He was so strong and I had the plugs in. I was still just letting him rock, and he just got a little bumpy on me for a couple of strides. Once he gathered himself up, I couldn't get him going again. He just kind of lost his focus. Thankfully we still came out on top."

Gingras and Burke both took their third wins in the Adios, but won it together for the first time.

"I've won it a few times, but never for the Burke Brigade," Gingras said. "I know this race means the world to the Burke Brigade, so it's probably the most special one."

A Papi Rob Hanover-Baron Remy colt, Al Papi is a homebred for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, J&T Silva- Purnel&Libby, Larry Karr and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Al Papi has compiled a career summary of 6-7-4 from 20 starts and has earned $1,311,896. The Adios win was his second of the season in nine outings. He paid $3.80 to win as the 4-5 favourite.

"Every time it's even better than the last time. Being one-two is something my dad had done before," said Burke, who sent out five horses in the Adios final for the second straight year. "I'm proud to try to imitate things he had done. We're very happy. The horses raced great and Yannick drove a great race.

"Once we got everybody seated and we had one parked on the outside, I was pretty sure we were in the right spots to get where we wanted. Then on the last turn it got a little bunched up and I was like 'uh oh, this could be trouble.' My horses were surging at the wire, so I was happy. I thought they hung on, but you hate to come over (to the winner's circle) and find out you were second."

The Adios triumph capped off an already spectacular day for Burke, who scored five victories on the 16-race program. Two races prior to the Adios, he won the first $90,214 division of the Mickey Burke Adioo Volo, named in honour of the trainer's late father, with Shacarri ($32.20) in 1:49.3. The Summa Cum Laude-Rockin Racer filly was in the pocket to Topville Lucky (Dexter Dunn) through :27.2, :56 and 1:23 fractions before that rival gave up the lead to Miss Jum Jabber (Andrew McCarthy) in the stretch. Shacarri then came out and chased down the heavy favourite, getting up by a nose for the upset win in the Grade 3 contest for three-year-old pacing fillies. Topville Lucky was third.

Shacarri's win was her first this year in nine tries and fifth lifetime in 18. She has earned $380,070 for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Phil Collura and Zippett Racing Stable.

Among Burke's other wins was the $45,376 Arden Downs for three-year-old trotting males, which he won with Summer Nights ($40.20) in 1:53.4. Ronnie Wrenn Jr. piloted the Bar Hopping-Party At The Banks gelding to half-length victory for owner-breeders Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Tymal Kryptonite (Shawn Johnston) finished second over Hamlet Hall (Mike Wilder).

Burke opened the card on an auspicious note, taking a $28,169 Pennsylvania Stallion Series division for rookie male pacers with Tom Collins ($4) in 1:53.3. He also won another Stallion Series split with Blue Eyed Stranger ($7.60) in 1:51.4.

Dr. Ian Moore sent out three winners, with two in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) for freshman male pacers. The first was Mascarpone ($4) in 1:51.4 in the $63,610 first split as the Stay Hungry-Creme Fraiche colt scored with James MacDonald in the bike for owner Mascarpone Stable. Stonebridge Blitz (Gingras) and Hard Four (Dexter Dunn) finished in a dead heat for place, a neck behind the winner.

Shalom Hanover ($2.40) impressed in the $64,173 third PASS split, drawing away by 4-1/4 lengths down the lane to prevail in 1:50.4. Lounado (Austin Hanners) took second over Captain Kangaroo (Andrew McCarthy). Louis-Philippe Roy had the lines of Shalom Hanover, a Papi Rob Hanover-Sammys Magic Girl colt.

Moore's second win came with Five Alarm Fire ($6.60) in 1:53 in a Stallion Series contest. The other Stallion Series winner was the Steve LeBlanc-trained Allnight Kid ($12.80) in 1:53.3.

The other division of the Adioo Volo went to Be Perfect Bg ($2.20), who bounced back from a second straight narrow defeat with a convincing victory for trainer Tony Beaton. The Perfect Sting-Jk Mardi Says filly reached the front passing the quarter in :26.2 for Dexter Dunn, led through :53.4 and 1:20.4 middle panels, and was in control all the way home in a 1:49 mile. Im A Lou Lou (Tim Tetrick) was second by 2-3/4 lengths off a pocket trip with Perfect Thought (James MacDonald) closing for show. Be Perfect Bg, now five-for-seven at three, has been defeated twice in 12 career starts, both by less than a half-length to Loua Dipa in Grand Circuit contests. The filly, owned by Ecurie CSL, has earned $544,445.

The $42,418 Arden Downs for three-year-old filly trotters went to Chestnut Kelly ($5), who nabbed pacesetter Wendalyn Hanover (Gingras) from a pocket ride to win by a head in 1:53.1. Skyline Salty Girl (Dunn) rushed up late to be third in the photo. Chestnut Kelly, a daughter of Captain Corey-Grace Am, is trained by Scott DiDomenico for Angela Cornell.

Gold Impact ($2.40) completed the Arden Downs with a 1:53 win for driver Mike Wilder and trainer Dan Altmeyer in the $44,697 rookie filly pace division. Blinkoneeightylou (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) came home second, with Jamie And The Jets (Gingras) well back in third. The winning daughter of Stay Hungry-Impact Zone is owned by Altmeyer Wilder Racing, Hutchison Harness LLC, Milton Leeman and David Wills.

Starstruck Dreamer ($6.40) was the lone PASS winner not trained by Moore, rallying out of the pocket past Hungry Marco (Tim Tetrick) and Atomix Hanover (James MacDonald) to take the third division for trainer Noel Daley. Todd McCarthy steered the Captaintreacherous-Scarlett Hanover miss to the three-quarter-length, 1:50.4 tally for owners Steve Wienick Racing LLC, Pryde Stables Inc., Jfoderatritchiecanamerica and Hyatt Holdings Inc. Atomix Hanover took second over Hungry Marco.

Replays of the livestreams of the day's racing are below.

SIMULCAST FEED PART 1

SIMULCAST FEED PART 2

PRIMETIME RACING FEED

(With files from The Meadows)