Of the 12 competitors in the 50th edition of the $450,000 Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at The Meadows, Racing Hill may have the strongest credentials.
He won the final of the $500,000 Hempt Memorial and finished second in the finals of both the lucrative North America Cup and the Meadowlands Pace. Those performances pushed his lifetime bankroll to $823,524; victory in the Adios final would make him a millionaire.
But the road to those laurels has been demanding -- five tough races against elite competition in a little more than six weeks. After a workload that heavy, will he be sharp in his Adios elimination? Trainer Tony Alagna says the son of Roll With Joe-Chasing Deals remains in top form.
“He’s come out of it in great shape, so we made the decision to take him to the Adios,” Alagna said.
Racing Hill is the 8-5 morning line favourite in race eight, the first of two Adios eliminations, with an approximate post time of 3:00 p.m. He goes from the rail with Brett Miller driving. The Adios final is set for Saturday afternoon, July 30. The first four finishers in each elimination, plus the fifth-place finisher with the better career earnings, return for the final.
Alagna noted that Racing Hill earned a bye into the Meadowlands Pace final, giving him a valuable week off.
“He came out of that race great,” Alagna said. “He ripped around the field with his tail over his back. That made the decision easier. He trains lightly between races, no kind of speed. He tells you what he wants as far as work goes. He carries his weight well, and he’s good to himself. All those things help.”
He said Tom Hill, owner of Racing Hill, gives him considerable leeway on the colt’s schedule.
“The Hills are very good that way,” he said. “They told me to make the decision based on what I saw.”
He indicated Racing Hill likely would have two weeks off following the Adios to freshen for his next engagement, the Battle of the Brandywine at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Alagna also sends American Passport into the Adios; he and Scott Zeron leave from post 5 in the second elimination, race 9. The son of American Ideal-Star Of The Show finished a strong second in the June 4 Somebeachsomewhere at Mohawk but is winless in five outings this year and hasn’t raced since July 1.
“He’s had bad luck and needed to regroup,” Alagna said. “He qualified very good the other day. Based on what he did last year, I don’t think the Adios is a stretch for him at all.”
The Adios eliminations card offers two strong supporting stakes for three-year-old filly pacers — the Romola Hanover, a $159,360 Pennsylvania Sire Stake, and a $100,000 PA Stallion Series event. First post Saturday is 1:00 p.m.
The fields for the Adios eliminations appear below.
Race 8
(Post – Horse – Driver – Trainer – Morning Line Odds)
1 – Racing Hill – Brett Miller – Tony Alagna – 8-5
2 – Western Fame – David Miller – Jimmy Takter – 10-1
3 – More Dragon – Tim Tetrick – Ron Burke – 12-1
4 – Stolen Glimpse – Matt Kakaley – Ron Burke – 5-1
5 – Lyons Snyder – Scott Zeron – Mark Silva – 3-1
6 – Check Six – Yannick Gingras – Ron Burke – 5-2
Race 9
(Post – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer – Morning Line Odds)
1 – Manhattan Beach – Matt Kakaley – Ron Burke – 2-1
2 – Big Top Hanover – Yannick Gingras – Ron Burke – 4-1
3 – Fernando Hanover – Tim Tetrick – Ron Burke – 5-1
4 – Another Daily Copy – Tony Hall – Nicholas Devita – 8-1
5 – American Passport – Scott Zeron – Tony Alagna – 7-2
6 – Rip This Joint – Dave Palone – Mike Palone – 10-1
(with files from The Meadows)