Water Sports Teen, Hellabalou and Abuckabett Hanover each captured an elimination of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids Saturday at The Meadows and will advance to the $375,000 final on July 31. They'll be joined by six other qualifiers — Natameri, Southwind Gendry, Mysweetboymax, Chase H Hanover, Rockyroad Hanover, Lous Pearlman — who finished in the top three in their eliminations.
Always A Miki is the also eligible by virtue of his highest career earnings among the fourth-place finishers. Trainers Tony Alagna (Abuckabett Hanover, Rockyroad Hanover) and Ron Burke (Southwind Gendry, Lous Pearlman) each will be represented by a pair of finalists. The connections of the eliminations winners have earned the right to choose their post positions, with a random draw to determine their selection order. First post Adios Day is noon.
Joshua Graber's Water Sports Teen threw down a swift 1:21.2 three-quarters and just kept going, coming home in 27 to score in a career-best 1:48.2. The son of Somebeachsomewhere-Posey Tina now has three starts in the stable of trainer Jennifer Bongiorno; not only has he won all three, but he's been ahead at every pole.
"The horse seems a little more manageable, a little more relaxed now," said winning driver Joe Bongiorno. "He's fitting in our program really well. He was on cruise control today; he finished with the ear plugs in. I think he had a little left."
The pocket-sitting Rockyroad Hanover was second, a length back, with Lous Pearlman third.
Hellabalou used a pocket trip to spring an 81-1 shocker in a Meadowlands Pace elimination, and he took the same route to victory Saturday. But Eddie Dennis, who conditions the son of Sweet Lou-Magestic Blue Chip for Eric Good, said the colt is more than a one-trip pony.
"He has good gate speed, and that helps a lot to put you in good position with these kinds of horses," Dennis said. 'i was a little worried today because the other times he raced here, it seemed like he wasn't as sharp. But we got here last night, and he got to rest and was feeling good. I was pretty confident of a good showing."
Hellabalou triumphed in 1:49.1, a lifetime mark, for Andrew McCarthy. Mysweertboymax shot the Lightning Lane for second, beaten 2 lengths, with Chase H Hanover third.
While Southwind Gendry was trying to fend off the determined challenge of 70-1 outsider Natameri, Abuckabett Hanover and McCarthy pounced on the leaders with a Lightning Lane charge that carried them to victory in 1:50.3. Natameri did wrest second away from Southwind Gendry, beaten 1-1/4 lengths.
The son of Betting Line-All Tucked Up began the season with four straight victories, including a win in a Messenger elimination, but thanks to some poor draws, he was off the board in his next three.
"He's had nothing but bad draws, bad luck. Even today, he drew seven in a seven-horse field," Alagna said. "Andy said he never popped his plugs today. He's a quality horse. What he was doing early in the year he'll do late in the year, too."
Abuckabett Hanover now has banked more than $300,000 for Crawford Farms Racing, Alagna Racing, Jablonsky Held Stable and Barbara N Wieneck Stable.
(MSOA)