When Versado, Pang Shui, We Will See and Nova Artist last got together, they helped produce one of the most exciting editions of the Delvin Miller Adios in the 44-year history of the Pace for the Orchids
. Six horses — among them Versado, Pang Shui and We Will See — finished within one and a hald lengths of the winner, Delmarvalous, in a stretch drive for the ages.
Now, the quartet is scheduled to get together one more time at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino on Saturday, September 4 for the $200,000 championship of the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers, and the clash promises to be explosive.
On that date, The Meadows will stage its “$1 million Pennsylvania Harness Championships,” featuring all four $200,000 PASS sophomore finals as well as a $50,000 consolation for each division. Radio station WJPA will broadcast live from the track from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the day’s festivities also include a variety of family-oriented activities.
The Adios finish may have been toughest on We Will See, trainer Sam DePinto and owners Shannon DePinto and Earl Smith, as their colt raced gamely despite what DePinto calls a virus and sinus problems. We Will See, who had won all three of his previous starts at The Meadows prior to the Adios, pulled the pocket for Brett Miller before the three-quarters and edged into the lead only to see Delmarvalous rally again to capture the Adios orchids. We Will See finished fourth, beaten half a length.
“I don’t even want to think about that race,” DePinto said. “If he stays in, he might win. But if he stays in and the horse in front stops, he gets nothing. Had his breathing been 100 percent, he’d have won it anyway. He and Brett did the best they could. I think Brett was just as tired as the horse after the race. You just turn the page; you don’t go back.”
The son of Western Hanover-Aberdakara took last week off after a fine third-place finish last week in the $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine.
“He trained absolutely vicious for the race, and it was his best performance of the year,” DePinto said “I thought about racing him in the Cane Pace eliminations this week, but I’ll get him ready for The Meadows instead. It’s his home away from home.”
Pang Shui made up most of 12 lengths over the course of the Adios to finish third, that same elusive half-length back. Ray Schnittker, who trains the homebred son of No Pan Intended-Road To Pandalay for Peter Pan Stables, also rested his horse last week.
“He’s racing really well, so I’m just keeping him like he is,” Schnittker said. “If he gets the trip, he’ll be good.”
Nova Artist has the most palpable reminder of the Adios, what trainer Lou Pena describes as a bar crack in his right front foot suffered when he broke stride early in the race. In addition, Pena indicated Nova Artist tied up after an out-of-the-money finish in a Battle of the Brandywine consolation.
Pena said he and owners Howard “Eddie” Davis and Kathleen Davis will evaluate the son of Real Artist-Avon Lady on a day-to-day basis to determine if he can make the reunion.
First post September 4 is 12:55 p.m.
(The Meadows)