Captain Albano, the 1-2 favourite, controlled the fractions for driver Todd McCarthy but needed every bit of his speed and moxie to hold off Wish You Well and David Miller in the Lightning Lane and win Saturday's $486,111 final of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows.
Noel Daley trains the son of Captaintreacherous-Angelou, who now boasts a career bankroll of $905,879, for Patricia Stable, L A Express Stable, Sjoblom Racing and Michael Dolan.
Last year's Dan Patch Award winner for freshman males as well as Pennsylvania's champion, Captain Albano threw down a 1:21.2 three-quarters, thwarting a number of challenges and abortive moves along the way. But when the dust settled as the field turned for home, the outcome came down to the two elimination winners with Captain Albano trying to hold firm and Wish You Well pouring through a suddenly available Lightning Lane. Captain Albano prevailed by a neck in 1:49.2, matching his career best.Timeisonmyside, who reached the final as a 47-1 longshot in his elim, ducked from the gate but nicely weaved his way through traffic to earn show for Anthony MacDonald. Huntingforchrome and James MacDonald finished fourth over Noblesville and Ronnie Wrenn Jr.
After the race, McCarthy indicated he didn't think his horse was in danger of coming up short.
"I'll be honest with you," he said. "He was a little tired, it was a real big mile. But when I heard David coming late, I asked [Captain Albano] to go on and he went that little bit more."
For his part, Miller said the result might have been different had he found the Lightning Lane sooner.
"I would like to have sat in the two-hole, but I'm happy to be second," said Miller. "He raced great. He raced great both weeks here."
It was the first Adios title for both McCarthy and Daley.
My Girl EJ Sets Meadows Record In Adioo Volo
My Girl EJ moved powerfully first-over from fifth and she kept right on moving until she scored in 1:48.4 — the fastest distaff mile ever at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows — in Saturday’s $144,757 Quinton Patterson Adioo Volo for sophomore filly pacers.
The time knocked a tick from the track’s all-age distaff pacing record as well as the stakes mark established by Allstar Rating in 2014.
When the daughter of Sweet Lou-Lucys Pearl set sail after the leader, Geocentric with Tim Tetrick, it was last year’s Breeders Crown winner challenging last year’s Dan Patch Award winner. My Girl EJ cleared easily and went on to defeat Canigetalouploup and David Miller by 2-3/4 lengths, with Asweetbeachhere and James MacDonald third.
“She’s pretty quick, and she’s pretty tough, too,” said winning driver Dexter Dunn. “Once the fractions set up for her, I didn’t know I would win like that, but I knew I’d be in the fight.”
My Girl EJ now has finished in the money in all but one of her 20 career outings and is just shy of $970,000 in earnings. Ron Burke trains and owns with Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Elizabeth Novak.
The Ron Burke stable, which has entered as many as 29 horses on Adios Days past, settled for 17 Saturday. "We're slacking off," joked the stable's Kein Weimer. But the quality was there, as Burke collected a three-bagger. When he came up a neck short, Miller missed a chance to move into sole possession of second place on the Adios championships list. He's currently in a six-way tie for second with three titles. All-time leader John Campbell has eight, a mark that may never be matched.
Grand Circuit Stakes Galore On Adios Undercard
In addition to the Adios and Adioo Volo, Saturday’s blockbuster card at The Meadows featured four Arden Downs Grand Circuit stakes events.
$51,213 James Manderino Trot — Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts & Geldings
Parked every step, Splendid somehow found more for Chris Lems and collected his eighth straight win. The son of Father Patrick-Long Island Tea triumphed in 1:54, a head better than the rallying Father Mike, with Blockchain third.
“He got a little rough behind the gate, which is why he couldn’t make it to the lead or get into a hole,” said Todd Rooney, who trains Splendid for Rooney Racing and Trotting For Bourbon. “But I was pretty shocked when he just kept right on going.”
Rooney said that, because Splendid is dually eligible in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, several options are available for his next start.
$41,803 Dwane Parker Trot — Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
Diamante Hanover controlled the fractions, then had to dig in to hold off the late charge of Mon Amie Martine. But the daughter of Cantab Hall-Dew To Win was up to the task, downing Mon Amie Martine by a neck in 1:55. Vickis Moni completed the ticket.
“She was trying to wear herself out a little on the front,” said winning driver Matt Kakaley. “She sometimes just wants to go too fast, too early. But she dug in game. She always tries hard.”
Emily Bost trains Diamante Hanover for Bruce Potter.
$60,856 Roy Davis Pace — Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts & Geldings
In the first of two divisions, Papis Rocket was sent off as the heaviest of favourites and he repaid the confidence of his backers by taking a new mark of 1:53.2.
First and second in overnight events before closing for third after a shuffle in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes last week, Papis Rocket got away fourth in the seven-horse field, but driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. had the son of Papi Rob Hanover–Real Touch (the dam of world champion Summer Touch) on the move as second choice Wild Bill Wyatt was in front of the field past the quarter in :27.3, taking over command and getting a breather to a :57 half. No one mounted an outside threat before or after the 1:25.4 three-quarters; the only real test came up the inside from pocket-sitter Wild Bill Wyatt, but Papis Rocket held that rival safe by 1-1/4 lengths.
“I thought the horse was much the best,” said Wrenn, “so I just wanted to make that quarter-pole move and make sure he didn’t make a mistake. He’s definitely a Sire Stakes colt. He’s getting better and better every week.”
Ron Burke, who had his usual fine Adios Day (three wins and five seconds, including sweeps of the Adioo Volo and Mary Lib Miller for an unofficial $222,138 earnings reckoning), trains the winner for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Knox Services and Slaughter Racing Stable.
The second Roy Davis division also went to a stickout in the Bettors Wish–Heavenly Bride colt Wedlock Blue Chip in 1:52.4. Lou’s Albano (no relation to Adios winner Captain Albano) led at the :27.4 opener, but driver Troy Beyer wanted to control his own fate and moved the youngster to the lead, putting up middle fractions of :56.2 and 1:25.1 before marching home in :27.3 to leave Lous Albano three lengths in arrears at the finish.
Wedlock Blue Chip, who had sandwiched overnight victories around a miscue in his brief career, now moves to three-for-four for trainer Roland “Polie” Mallar and the ownership of Richard Cortese and Don Hawk.
$50,163 Mary Lib Miller Trot — Two-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
In 2023, driver Dexter Dunn won the Adioo Volo three-year-old filly pace with Always B Naughty in 1:50 and he also won a division of the Mary Lib Miller companion stakes for two-year-olds with My Girl EJ in an outstanding 1:51.1. This year, Dunn won the Adioo Volo with My Girl EJ in a track record 1:48.4, so that seems to leave the Dunn-driven Blessed Hanover, winner of the single division of this year’s Mary Lib Miller/Arden Downs in 1:51.4, with history on her side, right?
Dunn did well to get away third with the Burke-trained daughter of Always B Miki–Bettor B Lucky after she was a little steppy as the gate sprang; not so fortunate was her stablemate, the favoured Always Ana Hanover, who lost stride before the first turn, although recovering to land seventh early. Daily Double Deo went to the front and set fractions of :27.1, :55.3 and 1:23.1; Always Ana Hanover could find no cover and had to make her challenge from the back without benefit of drafting along.
Always Ana Hanover had reached the pacesetter by the far turn but had no cover tight on her, which gave Dunn the opportunity he needed as he slipped Blessed Hanover to the two-path, then wider in the stretch. Blessed Hanover paced home with a 1-3/4-length advantage over her talented but unfortunate stablemate, with Daily Double Deo another length back in third.
“Training down, she was way at the back of the group,” Burke said of Blessed Hanover. ”By the time we were qualifying, we thought, she’s all right. Her time today was legit. She’s showed us enough to keep her staked to everything.”
Blessed Hanover is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and William Donovan.
A replay of the Adios card is available below.
(With files from The Meadows)