Captain Albano did what was expected while Wish You Well pulled off the completely unexpected on Saturday, July 20 at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, as each won a $34,247 elimination of the 2024 Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids.
They'll be joined in the $350,000 USD Adios final on July 27 by Huntingforchrome, Sweet Beach Life, Clever Cody, Timeisonmyside, Noblesville and Nuclear as well as Outer Banks, who reached the final as the fifth-place finisher with higher career earnings. It was a successful Adios start for trainers Travis Alexander and Ron Burke; each had three starters, and each saw two of those starters make it through.
Connections of Captain Albano and Wish You Well will select their post positions, with a shake determining their choosing order. All other post positions will be determined by a random draw Wednesday, July 24.
Last year's Dan Patch Award-winning freshman male pacer, Captain Albano (pictured above) was sent off the 1-5 favourite and looked very much the part. He quarter-poled to the top for Todd McCarthy and widened his advantage from there, scoring by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:49.2. Timeisonmyside and Noblesville completed the ticket.
"I figured if I could get away and stay out of trouble, he'd be all right," McCarthy said. "You have to be careful with them. He's gotta come back next week, so you don't want to spend too much fuel. We'll draw close to the inside for the final; that definitely will be an advantage."
The son of Captaintreacherous-Angelou boosted his lifetime bankroll to $626,823 for trainer Noel Daley and owners Patricia Stable, L A Express Stable, Sjoblom Racing and Michael Dolan.
It appeared that the ending would be vastly different for Wish You Well. The Bettors Wish-Wheres Alice gelding, dismissed at 25-1, trailed by six lengths at the top of the lane, with no immediate racing room. But when David Miller angled him off the cones, he exploded past the leader, Huntingforchrome, and defeated him by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:49.1, with Sweet Beach Life third.
"He had a big kick to him there, didn't he?" Miller said of the winner of now $260,047 lifetime. "I was just trying to get him into the final. And, jeez, when I got him out and got his plugs out, he kicked into a gear I wasn't expecting. That was pretty cool."
On Adios Day, the final of the Pace for the Orchids anchors a blockbuster program that features six Grand Circuit stakes. In addition, the card will offer a total of $200,000 in pool guarantees spread over 11 wagers, thought to be the "Richest Day in PA' for bettors.
RAILROAD STATION STEAMS TO PASS VICTORY AT THE MEADOWS
Railroad Station found the fast track late and rallied to a stake-fastest 1:51.1 victory in Saturday’s Pennsylvania Sires Stake as part of the Adios eliminations card at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows.
The event for freshman colt and gelding pacers, known as The Albatross, was contested over four $65,790 divisions, with World Beater (1:53), TH Colby (1:52.2) and Louprint (1:52.1) capturing the other splits. Ron Burke enjoyed a PASS triple (Railroad Station, TH Colby, Louprint), with Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. aboard for a pair of them (TH Colby, Louprint).
Railroad Station was very nearly the caboose at the half, chugging along fifth by 6-1/2 lengths. But when he picked up the live cover of Prince Hal Hanover, the son of Sweet Lou-Rodeo Rosie found a new gear and outkicked his rival in the lane, downing him by 3/4 lengths. Papis Rocket finished third.
“That horse there is a professional,” said winning driver David Miller. “There are no tricks to him. I think he has a big upside. He couldn’t have done anything any better so far.”
Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby campaign Railroad Station.
Damn The Torpedoes, Quick Pittstop, Stay Focused, Paxamillion, War No More and Flight In Motion took the $27,397 splits of the PA Stallion Series for two-year-old male pacers. Mike Wilder fashioned a stake double (Quick Pittstop, Flight In Motion) as did Tim Tetrick (Damn The Torpedoes, Paxamillion).
Wrenn and Burke teamed for yet another win with Stay Focused, a 21-1 bomber. The son of Stay Hungry-Yoseline Seelster was impressive, using two moves to deliver the maiden-breaking victory in 1:53 to owner Brad Grant. Furneaux was 1-1/2 lengths back in second while Mount Laurel Rd completed the ticket.
“I think if I’d been forced to go inside, I would have found room in the Lightning Lane,” Wrenn said. “Luckily, I was able to get out in the last turn, and he had a lot of pace. I think he has a lot of potential to be a good horse.”
Aaron Merriman collected four wins on the 15-race card.
Live racing at The Meadows resumes Wednesday, first post 12:45 p.m.
(MSOA)