Dorsoduro Hanover is looking for his first open stakes win. Ron Burke and Matt Kakaley are looking for their first Adios win. Together they can achieve those accomplishments Saturday.
After having finished second by a nose to Hitman Hill in his elimination, Dorsoduro Hanover will start from Post 5 in Saturday’s $400,000 Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids for three-year-olds at the Meadows. Kakaley will drive the pacer for trainer/co-owner Burke, who lives a short distance from the western Pennsylvania oval.
Dorsoduro Hanover is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line. American History, the other elimination winner, is the 5-2 favourite while Hitman Hill is 7-2.
“We’ve got to get Ronnie one; that’s his home track,” Kakaley said about a win in the Adios. “Hopefully we both can get our first one Saturday. That would be nice. I know it’s a race that Ronnie wants to win for sure. Any time I can win a race like that it’s special. It would mean a lot. I’m just excited to have an opportunity with a good colt.”
First post Saturday will be at noon, and the Adios will face the starting gate for Race 11 at approximately 4 p.m. (EDT). The card includes five Grand Circuit stakes in addition to the Adios.
Dorsoduro Hanover has won four of nine races this year and earned $300,359. In his previous stakes final, the Meadowlands Pace on July 14, he nearly overcame Post 10 at 57-1 odds, as he got to the lead in the stretch before finishing second to favourite Courtly Choice. In the Max C. Hempt Memorial final on June 30, Dorsoduro Hanover was a parked-out second in a :26 opening quarter-mile before leading to the half in :53.1 and three-quarters in 1:20.2. He finished fifth, beaten a length.
“He was pretty close two weekends ago,” Kakaley said about winning a stakes final. “He gave a huge effort, that’s for sure. You couldn’t ask him to race any better; the 10-hole got us.
“He’s a good colt. I don’t have any doubt he won’t get a couple of them. He’s really only gone one race this year that he wasn’t good, and that was the North America Cup elim. I’ve thought he’s been very, very good every other start this year.”
Dorsoduro Hanover, a son of Somebeachsomewhere out of Deer Valley Miss, is a half-brother to stakes winners Doo Wop Hanover and Knock Three Times. He was purchased for $100,000 at the 2016 Standardbred Horse Sale and is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Silva Purnel & Libby, the Weaver Bruscemi partnership, and Wingfield Five.
For his career, Dorsoduro Hanover has won six of 23 races and earned $375,603. Kakaley has driven the horse in 20 of his 23 lifetime starts.
Dorsoduro Hanover, pictured victorious at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono (Image courtesy Curtis Salonick)
“He was a big colt last year and I think he had to grow into himself a little bit,” Kakaley said. “This year his gait has been super and he’s filled out. I liked him all along and he’s turned into the horse I thought he was. He’s been racing better each time, too. He’s versatile and can get himself in a pretty decent spot.”
Dorsoduro Hanover will start the Adios from the most favourable post at the Meadows, which holds a nearly 20 per cent win rate. Hitman Hill will start from Post 3 and American History from Post 4. The connections of the elimination winners selected their starting spots.
“There are a couple good colts inside of me,” Kakaley said. “They were both really good last week. (Thinkbig Dreambig) was really good, too. He’s kind of snuck under the radar. He drew a terrible spot (Post 8), but he was pacing hard on the end of it last week. It’s a good field of colts. I’m happy with the spot I’m in.”
This year’s Adios includes three trainers with previous wins in the event: Brian Brown in 2017 with Fear The Dragon, Tony Alagna with Racing Hill in 2016, and Jimmy Takter with Sunfire Blue Chip in 2013. While Burke is looking for his first win, his father, Mickey, won the event with May June Character in 2007. In addition to Dorsoduro Hanover, Burke will send out GD Western Joe in Saturday’s final.
David Miller leads all drivers in the race with three previous wins in the Adios. Other prior winners are Corey Callahan, Yannick Gingras, Brett Miller, and Dave Palone.
The field for the Adios appears below.
(PP – Horse – Driver – Trainer – Morning Line)
1 – Summer Travel – David Miller – Andrew Harris – 20/1
2 – GD Western Joe – Dave Palone – Ron Burke – 20/1
3 – Hitman Hill – Brett Miller – Chris Oakes – 7/2
4 – American History – Yannick Gingras – Tony Alagna – 5/2
5 – Dorsoduro Hanover – Matt Kakaley – Ron Burke – 3/1
6 – Done Well – Tim Tetrick – Brian Brown – 9/2
7 – Wes Delight – Corey Callahan – Mark Harder – 15/1
8 – Thinkbig Dreambig – Jordan Stratton – Jimmy Takter – 9/2
9 – Babes Dig Me – Jim Pantaleano – Tony Alagna – 20/1
(USTA)