Ron Burke trains six of the 12 starters for Saturday’s (July 23) eliminations for the 50th edition of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at The Meadows. It goes without saying that there is stress involved. Burke has found a way to relieve the pressure leading up to the weekend card.
As the PR team at The Meadows has explained, Burke and some friends went fishing off the coast of Florida on Friday morning. Just as one would expect of North America’s leading trainer, he was as sharp on the ocean as he is on the track.
Burke and his fellow anglers had been trolling the coast for only 30 minutes Friday when they reeled in a large wahoo.
But back to racing – Burke is hoping that ‘Adios 50’ won’t be the one that got away.
Burke’s six Adios entrants may be a record, but not by much.
“The last year I worked with my dad (Mickey), we had five of them in,” Ron said. “It’s been something we’ve been doing for a while. Out of all the races every year, this is the one we point to.”
Here’s how Burke has handicapped his six hopefuls in the two Adios eliminations, which have been carded as Race 8 and Race 9:
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More Dragon (Race 8, Post 3) — “He’s probably the weakest of the bunch. He’s good at qualifying for finals, but he’s a little overmatched when he makes the finals.”
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Stolen Glimpse (Race 8, Post 4) — “He’s the one with the most potential to get better. His first race on a half-mile track was very impressive. He has serious speed.”
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Check Six (Race 8, Post 6) — “He was a little dull about a month ago, but he’s super now. He was great in the Meadowlands Pace but had two awful trips.”
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Manhattan Beach (Race 9, Post 1) — “He’s been drawing the worst of any of my horses. From the inside, I look for him to be more aggressive. He should be tough to beat. Historically, Check Six has been the better horse, but Manhattan Beach is coming on.”
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Big Top Hanover (Race 9, Post 2) — “We’ve been racing him hard, so he skipped the Meadowlands Pace to prep for the Adios. He drew into the easier division, so I look for him to get into the final.”
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Fernando Hanover (Race 9, Post 3) — “He seems to be back to himself. He has more ability than he’s been able to show. This is a good spot for him. He can sit and make one move.”
The first four finishers in each elimination, plus the fifth-place finisher with higher career earnings, will advance to the final. The $400,000 Adios final will be contested during the afternoon of Saturday, July 30.
The Adios elimination card offers two strong supporting stakes for three-year-old filly pacers — the Romola Hanover, a $159,360 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event that features juvenile champion Pure Country, and a $100,000 PA Stallion Series event.
First post Saturday is 1 p.m., with the first Adios elimination set to go at approximately 3 p.m.
(The Meadows)