The field for the 2018 Delvin Miller Adios is now complete after a pair of $25,000 eliminations on Saturday (July 21) at The Meadows.
American History came through as the public choice in the first $25,000 Adios elimination with a wrapped-up 1:51 score. Driver Yannick Gingras settled American History away into fourth as Wes Delight (Corey Callahan) cleared GD Western Joe (Dave Palone) for the early lead, with the opening quarter reached in :27.2. As the field straightened up in front of the grandstand, Gingras right-lined American History from fourth and brushed to the front before the :55.3 half.
Heading down the backstretch, American History confidently cut the mile while not facing any imminent threats. Summer Travel (David Miller) started the outer flow from fifth, giving cover to second choice Done Well (Tim Tetrick) who appeared to struggle at the gate but recovered to come into contention as the field approached the third station. Gingras ensured that lead would continue uncontested as American History opened up a three-plus-length advantage as the third quarter flashed up in 1:23.1. That margin proved to be insurmountable as American History cruised home wrapped up a length to the good in 1:51. Done Well closed well to nose out Wes Delight for second with Summer Travel completing the top four finishers to guarantee a spot in next week's final.
Trained by Tony Alagna, American History (American Ideal - Perfect Touch) sports a summary of 3-1-1 from eight starts on the season for breeder Brittany Farms LLC, who co-owns with Toronto's Marvin Katz and American History Racing of Versailles, Ky.
Hitman Hill posted a mild upset in the second Adios elimination, winning by the narrowest of margins.
Driver Brett Miller hustled Hitman Hill out for early position from post four, joined in that bid by outermost entrant Babes Dig Me (David Miller). Fearing a stuffed shuffle back off the front, Hitman Hill relented and then retook over that longshot as favoured Dorsoduro Hanover (Matt Kakaley) was on the move and gunning for the lead through a :27 opening quarter.
Dorsoduro Hanover cleared to the front end by the three-eighths mark and then faced immediate pressure from Hempt winner Springsteen (Simon Allard) as the field hit the halfway mark in a brisk :54.4. The challenge to the front continued through the backstretch and the 1:22 third panel with the backfield starting to bunch. Turning for home the first over-bid of Springsteen started to fizzle, providing Brett Miller with two options -- right-line and take a shot or wait for the passing lane. Miller chose the former, angled right and took dead aim on the leader. Thinkbig Dreambig (Jordan Stratton) was in the four path and gaining on the front pair to make this a three-horse race in deep stretch but the wire was hit by Hitman Hill, a nose better than Dorsoduro Hanover with Thinkbig Dreambig completing the best company and Babes Dig Me also qualifying for the final by virtue of his fourth-place finish.
Fresh off his track record over the half-miler at Buffalo Raceway in most recent outing, Hitman Hill (American Ideal - Fox Valley Shaker) now sports a 3-1-2 summary in eight seasonal starts for trainer Chris Oakes and owners Tom Hill of Hamilton, Ont. and Northfork Racing Stable of Wilkes-Barre, Penn. In his last four starts, Hitman Hill boasts a 3-0-1 tally with that third-place finish by a head in the Hempt Final.
The field will be completed by GD Western Joe, the fifth-place finisher with the highest career earnings.
Elimination winners will choose their post positions for the final -- their selection order will be determined by draw -- with all other post positions determined by random draw on Tuesday, July 24.
The $450,000 (est) Adios final headlines a blockbuster Saturday, July 28 card that also features five other Grand Circuit stakes. The Adios Day program begins at noon.
Saturday’s Adios eliminations card at The Meadows also featured 66 freshman colt and gelding pacers vying for total purses of $312,112 — and to demonstrate they have what it takes to be champions. Indeed, several of them showed just that. Here are the highlights of the two stakes for two-year-olds:
$190,112 Pennsylvania Sires Stake (The Albatross)
De Los Cielos Deo extended his career unbeaten streak to three — all stake victories —while Semi Tough earned Albatross honours by scoring in 1:51.1, fastest this year by a freshman on a five-eighths-mile track. Yannick Gingras drove both promising youngsters for trainer Ron Burke. Other Albatross splits went to Sugar Factory and Ehrmantraut.
A son of Captain Treacherous-Lisjune, De Los Cielos Deo quarter-poled to the front and never allowed the pocket-sitting Love Me Some Lou to get close, downing him by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:51.3. Captain Victorious finished third.
“From the first time I drove him in Florida, he was my favourite,” said Gingras of the winner, who is campaigned by Burke Racing Stable, Larry Karr, J&T Silva-Purnell&Libby and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. “He’s never disappointed. He’s been there from the start, and he’s showing it now. What we like best about him is that he’s so smart. You want to pull, he goes. You want to go back in the hole, he goes back in the hole. He’s like a six-year-old who knows what to do.”
At times in the past, owner John Cancelliere and trainer Tom Cancelliere have launched the careers of their brightest two-year-olds in relatively soft spots, allowing them to gain their sea legs and develop confidence before facing the pressures of bigger stakes.
That approach paid off for Sugar Factory, who debuted with a stallion series win and had little trouble stepping up to the Albatross for a facile victory in 1:52.1, 2-3/4 lengths better than Cruise Captain, with No Mas Amor third.
“We’ll see how far up he can go without torturing him,” Tom Cancelliere said of his $65,000 yearling acquisition. “His upside? We don’t know yet. He hasn’t faltered yet. He hasn’t told us, that’s enough. I want to race him only 10 or 12 times this year.”
Ehrmantraut allowed 4-5 favourite Bring The Thunder to do the heavy lifting, then blew by him in the Lightning Lane to triumph in 1:52.2 for Dave Palone, trainer Lou Pena and owners Lawrence Keethe and John Darrah. Branquinho was second, 1-1/4 lengths back, while Bring The Thunder saved show.
“There are three or four colts today, you’d lick your chops to have one,” Palone said. “I think he’s in that group. I don’t know what more you could ask from him.”
$120,000 PA Stallion Series
Latissimus Hanover made it two straight in the stallion series in a stake-fastest 1:52.4.
Latissimus Hanover, a son of Captaaintreacherous-Ladyking, quarter-poled to the top for Tim Tetrick and made short work of the field, defeating Roar Of Approval by 2-1/2 lengths. Early leader Yacht Week completed the ticket.
“We’ll keep him right in the stallion series and, hopefully, keep making the money,” said Ray Schnittker, who trains the $75,000 yearling purchase and owns with Mary Arnold and Ted Gewertz. “We have him staked pretty good for the end of the year, so hopefully he can get through this gauntlet and get the job done.”
Prince Of Tides was caught outside for most of the opening panel, but he was still tons the best, scoring for Corey Callahan in 1:54.1. Docs Hooligan was second, beaten 6-1/4 lengths, while Cool Your Heels earned show.
“The field didn’t really look that tough time-wise, and he had been in a lot more than the other colts,” Callahan said. “I figured I’d give him a chance to strut his stuff and take matters into our own hands. He’s a little bit immature and a little better following, but I kept him to task, and he was good.”
Ross Croghan conditions the son of Somebeachsomewhere-Tug River Princess for Let It Ride Stables, Dana Parham and Howard Taylor.
Highlandbeachlover, Do Ya Think, Just Plain Loco and Captain Hill captured the other divisions.