by Anne Doolin, for the Meadows

Meadow Lands, PA –– The home field advantage continued on Saturday in the second of three $50,500 eliminations for the 38th edition of the Coors Delvin Miller Adios for three-year-old pacing colts at The Meadows, when Basil Hanover and Mike Wilder came rolling three wide off the turn to nail Geartogear on the wire in 1:50³.

Trained and co-owned by Meadows-based Dan Altmeyer, the Arturo gelding jockeyed for position, then was shuffled back, but found another gear as he closed in on Geartogear. Spirit Of A Shark also closed to earn the final berth from the second elim for the final.

“As hard as I used him the first quarter, he went a tremendous mile,” said Wilder. “Randy’s horse is just tremendous this year, but I couldn’t be happier with the effort of mine.”

This year, the Adios reverted to the old format where finalists earned their post positions, with elim winners drawing for posts one through three; second place finishers for posts four through six; and third place finishers saddled with posts seven, eight and nine.