Canadian campaigned Prince Hal Hanover reigned in the 59th edition of the $527,397 Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids on Saturday, July 26 at The Meadows.
Driver Todd McCarthy guided Prince Hal Hanover to victory in the Grade 1 stakes for three-year-old pacers over elimination winners Swingtown and Twisted Destiny in a career-best 1:48.1 performance for trainer Dr. Ian Moore and owner Prince Hal Hanover Stable of Cambridge, Ont.
Prince Hal Hanover fired off the gate to take control from post eight -- a starting spot that had only produced one past Adios winner -- with outside leaver Sippinonsearoc (Yannick Gingras) securing early position in second followed by supplemental entry Rick Wink (Chris Page) while 4-5 favourite Twisted Destiny (Dexter Dunn) was parked through a :26 opening quarter.
"It's a tough post, but he's so fast out that horse," said McCarthy of the start. "And I knew if I didn't get into a speed battle there early, we'd probably end up somewhere pretty handy.
"I didn't know where Dexter got to early and where he would be going, but I was content where I was and I just sort of kept him rolling along there."
Twisted Destiny pressed on to take over command in front of the stands but paid the price, with the half-mile going in :53.3. As he approached three-quarters in 1:21.2, Sippinonsearoc tipped out of third ahead of the oncoming Swingtown (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) while Prince Hal Hanover waited for the passing lane.
"When we got the two-hole there, I was happy with that too," said McCarthy. "And he just showed a great turn of foot at the top of the stretch."
Down the stretch, Prince Hal Hanover shot through at the pylons and prevailed by a head over a the late-closing Swingtown on the far outside while Twisted Destiny settled for third a neck back. Sippinonsearoc edged out Rick Wink just over a length behind in fourth and fifth place.
"I looked across on the wire there and I saw Ronnie out wide. I knew it was pretty tight," said McCarthy. "I was confident, but I never like to jump the gun too early. But he just raced super and full credit to Ian Moore -- he had him spot on today."
Prince Hal Hanover, who was just a half-length off Twisted Destiny in their 1:48 elimination, was the 3-1 second choice in the final and paid $8.20 to win.
Making amends for a Meadowlands Pace setback, his record now stands at 5-8-2 from 19 career starts with more than $980,000 in earnings.
The colt by Captaintreacherous out of the Moore-trained O'Brien Award winner Percy Bluechip was bred in Pennsylvania by Hanover Shoe Farms.
Driver Dexter Dunn swept the Grade 3 Adioo Volo filly races, each worth more than $75,000, with Birnam Wood Farms' homebred Time Of The Season wearing down the popular pacesetter Asphalt to win by 1-1/4 lengths in a career-best 1:49.2 for trainer Tim Twaddle and Allegra Hanover prevailing by half a length over longshot Ballast in a new mark of 1:50.2 for trainer Tyler George and owners Martin Valentic, T G Stable and Bill Boyce.
The Adios, presented by the Mickey Burke Family, included five starters trained by the powerful locally-based Ron Burke stable. While settling for runner-up honours in the main event, the Burke stable dominated the Adios Day undercard with a total of six winners, including undefeated two-year-old pacing colt Frantic Hanover taking the faster of two $95,866 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes divisions in 1:50.4 with a :26.4 closing kick. Tim Tetrick drove the Stay Hungry-Francessa colt, who is now two-for-two for owners Burke Racing Stable, Brad Grant, Knox Services and Weaver Bruscemi.
Superchamp Hanover nosed out the Burke-trained Melillo to win the other Pennsylvania Sire Stakes division in 1:51. Matt Kakaley drove the Sweet Lou-So Brave Hanover gelding, now a two-time winner in three career starts, for trainer Travis Alexander and owners Fiddler's Creek Stables and Alexander Racing Stable.
Ronnie Wrenn Jr. drove the Burke stable's five other winners, taking two Pennsylvania Stallion Series divisions with the maiden-breaking pacing colts Another C Note (1:53.1) and Generationalwealth (1:53.3) as well as Arden Downs Stakes divisions with two-year-old filly pacer Loua Dipa (1:52.3) and three-year-old filly trotter Can It Be Magic (1:55.1). Birthday doubled up in Open action with a 1:49.2 victory.
Tim Tetrick also scored with the perfect Pennsylvania Stallion Series winner Art In Heaven (1:53.2) for trainer Nicholas Devita and Arden Downs Stakes-winning two-year-old filly pacer Lyons I Wanna Chip (1:53.2) for trainer Jim King Jr.
Trainer Wilbur Yoder enjoyed a 1-2 finish in the Arden Downs Stakes for three-year-old male trotters with a pair of longshots as Livin It Up topped Bell Hall in 1:55.4, sparking a $2 exacta payout worth $1,583.20. Brady Brown guided the winner while Yoder drove the runner-up.
The eighth race on the 16-dash program was declared a No Contest after Cruzin America was interfered with and unseated driver Anthony MacDonald when Warraweeforlaura broke stride in front of him near the half, causing other horses to scatter and pull up at various points. All horses and drivers were reported to be safe shortly after the race by track officials.
A replay of the Adios card is available below.
(Standardbred Canada)