by Anne Doolin, for the Meadows

Meadow Lands, PA — It was a ding-dong battle in the first of three $50,000 Adios elimination races on Saturday afternoon (August 12) at The Meadows. Western Ace, with Brian Sears in the bike for trainer George Teague, Jr., notched his first win of the year with the narrowest of margins in 1:51.2 over Texas Shootout.

Western Ace and Brian Sears closed on the outside to win the first elimination.

Last year’s Woodrow Wilson winner sat out second over behind the cover of Texas Shootout (Dave Palone) as Eckstrom (Ron Pierce) took the field through brisk fractions of :25.2, :54 and 1:22.3. John Campbell, aboard 1-5 favorite Feelin Friskie, was forced four wide at the head of the stretch as the field fanned out for home.

Eckstrom jumped it off in mid-stretch, while Big Tim (Richard Stillings) failed to advance out of the two hole. Texas Shootout had the lead until the last jump, when Western Ace, who was three-wide around the last turn himself, had enough left to wear down the leader. Feelin Friskie nailed down the third qualifying spot.

The second Adios elim provided just as many fireworks as the first, as Dave Palone gunned Sandro Hanover up from the back of the pack to roar home down the middle of the track for a 1:51.3 score.

Palone took off his namesake, Dave Panlone, to drive Sandro Hanover, who was one of five from the Mickey Burke Stable. It was Dave Panlone (Mike Wilder) that led the field through the middle fractions of :55.1 and 1:23.2 after taking control from early pacesetter J K CU Later.

Dave Palone piloted Sandro Hanover to the victory in the middle elimination.

David Miller and Western Guy started a first-up march past the grandstand the first time, but couldn’t get to Dave Panlone up the backside. Ron Pierce, aboard even-money favorite Total Truth, was forced to swing three-wide before even hitting the final turn.

Palone and Sandro Hanover followed that cover, and were stronger in the stretch, scoring by better than two lengths. Total Truth was second, and Manhardt nailed the final spot for the final.

Trainer Burke and driver Palone claimed their second of the three Adios elims when True North Hanover pulled out in the far turn and went on to wrest the lead from Cactus Creek and John Campbell in deep stretch in the final elimination. True North Hanover went on to win in 1:50.4, the fastest of the three elims.

Palone sent True North Hanover out for the early lead, but yielded to favorite Perfect Union by the grandstand the first time. Mike Lachance and Gimmebackmybullets were out a long ways, and never cleared before Campbell came around three-wide with Cactus Creek on the backside.

USTA/Ed Keys Photos

True North Hanover (Dave Palone) pulls away to win the final elimination.

The field went through fractions of :26.3, :54 and 1:21.3. True North Hanover was sitting third when he came off the rail and went for the lead. Cactus Creek finished second, while Perfect Union was third and earned the last spot in the final.

It was the seventh win in 12 starts this year for True North Hanover. Longtime owner George Leon of Pittsburgh owns the winner, and shares ownership of second elim winner Sandro Hanover with Dean Davis of Wooster, Ohio.

The top three finishers in each elimination advanced to the $300,000 final.