Sunfire Blue Chip and driver Yannick Gingras captured the $450,000 Delvin Miller Adios, the Pace for the Orchids, on Saturday afternoon at The Meadows.
Sunfire Blue Chip held off the the late rallying Vegas Vacation (Brian Sears) to prevail by less than a length in 1:48.3 for trainer Jimmy Takter while Word Power (Jim Morrill Jr.) rounded out the top three finishers.
Gingras had elimination winner Sunfire Blue Chip on the move before the :26-second opening quarter mark and swept from third to first over early leaver Beach Memories (Corey Callahan) as the colts moved in front of the grandstand for the first time.
Sunfire Blue Chip continued to lead the field, which was reduced to seven with the scratch of Ultimate Beachboy, to the half in :53.4 and three-quarters in 1:21.2.
Meanwhile, Some Kinda Beach (Andy Miller) advanced first over from fourth with the other elimination winner, Lonewolf Currier (John Campbell), and 7-5 favourite Vegas Vacation rallying wide off cover around the final turn.
However, Sunfire Blue Chip had opened up multiple lengths on his rivals into the stretch, giving him a jump start to hold off the backfield in the career-best equalling mile.
"I just got him positioned in the right spot and once I got him to the lead I was very confident," said Gingras. "Going into the last turn I thought it was his race to lose. I would have been shocked if he got beat from there."
Sunfire Blue Chip paid $7.20 to win as the 5-2 second choice in the wagering after winning his elimination by a nose last week off a three-week break.
The American Ideal-Shot Togo Bluechip colt is owned by Takter's wife Christina, Ontario's John and Jim Fielding and R A W Equine Inc., and Sweden's Brixton Medical Ab.
"I want to thank my owners," said Takter, who was also a winner of the Adios in 2009 with Vintage Master. "I also want to thank Dave Palone, who qualified the horse for me [in the eliminations]. He did a great job and without him we wouldn't be here of course.
"Yannick knows the horse and loves the horse and I think he did a great job not to rush him out of the gate. Things unfolded our way and he showed what type of horse he is."
Martini Hanover and Brian Sears won the $50,000 Adios Consolation in 1:50.2 by a nose over Dedis Dragon (Yannick Gingras) for trainer Chris Ryder and owner Robert Mondillo.
Three-year-old pacing fillies faced off on the Adios undercard in the companion event, the Quinton Patterson Adioo Volo, which was split into two divisions.
Dan Patch Award winner Somwherovrarainbow earned the first Grand Circuit stakes victory of her sophomore season with a 1:51.1 wire-to-wire effort over a track rated as ‘good’ for the first $67,960 division.
With Montrell Teague driving for his father George Teague Jr., the popular Somebeachsomewhere-Rainbow Blue filly left from post five and cruised through fractions of :27.3, :56 and 1:23 before holding off first over Mattwestern (Yannick Gingras) in the stretch by a neck. Antigua Hanover (Corey Callahan) finished third.
"I always like being on the front when you got a 1-5 shot," said Montrell Teague of his Adioo Volo racing strategy. "You don't have to worry about someone stopping and getting locked in or something like that. But she's very versatile, she can go from behind, she can come first up or she can be on the front end like today."
Somwherovrarainbow is owned by George Teague Jr Inc., K And R Racing LLC, and Theodore Gewertz.
Driver Chris Page picked up the last minute catch-drive behind Nikki Beach in the second $68,960 split and worked out a perfect pocket trip to prevail by a neck in 1:51.3 for trainer Tony Alagna.
Nikki Beach established the early lead before giving way to favourite Carols Desire (Dave Palone) as they approached the first quarter mark in :27-seconds. Nikki Beach then played follow-the-leader through middle fractions of :56.1 and 1:23.4 before scooting up the inside lane for the career-best victory. Runner-up Novascotia Hanover (Brett Miller) rallied off the cover of third-place finisher Handsoffmycupcake (Randy Tharps).
"It worked out to be a good day," said Page in the winner's circle. "That last one was a surprise; I wasn't down to drive her and I guess everybody had to get off to the Meadowlands and I picked up a good one. She's a real nice filly. I'm very happy Tony let me drive her and I appreciate it."
The Somebeachsomewhere-Western Wisedom filly is owned by Kentucky's Brittany Farms.