Hightstown, NJ – No Waitlist has shown the ability to start strong. Now, he’s showing the ability to finish that way as well. And buoyed by his recent performances, his connections made the decision to pay $35,000 to supplement the colt to the Grade 1 Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids, presented by 1/ST BET, at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows.
Two $25,000 eliminations will be held Saturday (July 18) to determine the final nine-horse field for the 60th edition of the event for 3-year-old pacers. The top four finishers in each elim plus the fifth-place finisher with the highest lifetime earnings will advance to the $420,000 final on July 25 at The Meadows.
No Waitlist will compete in the second elimination, leaving from post 1 in a field of eight, with Doug McNair driving for trainer Blake MacIntosh. He is 6-1 on the morning line, fourth choice behind three colts who raced last week in the Meadowlands Pace: Al Papi (2-1), Melillo (4-1) and Sweet Lovin Lou (9-2).
Loua Dipa, the first filly entered in the Adios since With Thanks in 1969, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the first elimination. The Ron Burke trainee is the No. 1-ranked horse in the sport’s weekly Top 10 poll. North America Cup winner Odds On Mr Mamba, another $35,000 supplemental entry, is the 7-2 second choice. He is ranked No. 5 in the Top 10.
In his two most recent starts following a ninth-place finish in the Grade 1 North America Cup on June 13 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, No Waitlist has finished third in an Ontario Sire Stakes Gold leg – beaten by only a half-length in 1:48.2 – and won a conditioned race from post 9 at Mohawk by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:50. In the ONSS start, his first since the addition of Lasix, No Waitlist led to the opening quarter in :25.4 before eventually finding himself fourth on the pylons turning for home. He made up three lengths in the stretch with a :26.2 last quarter
“We were disappointed in the North America Cup final, but we scoped him after the race and he had some traces of blood, so we put him on Lasix, and his last two races have been great,” said MacIntosh, who trains No Waitlist for owner Tim Dickieson. “He always used to get a little weak coming to the wire, and the Lasix helped him. He showed he wanted to battle through and came home a little harder than he had in his previous races.”
No Waitlist, a son of Cattlewash-Walk On Air, has hit the board in six of nine races this year, winning two and banking $75,227. He has career earnings of $165,734 despite going winless as a 2-year-old, thanks to picking up a check in 18 of 23 lifetime races.
“He’s underachieved a little, but he’s a big, beautiful colt,” MacIntosh said. “The best thing about him is his gate speed. He can get himself in position from any post and control what he has to do and where he’s going to be.”
No Waitlist, who has been first to the opening quarter in six of his past seven races (and was second in the remaining one), will look to find a good spot from his inside post in his Adios elimination Saturday.
“We drew the right division, I feel; we got away from both Mamba and Loua Dipa,” MacIntosh said. “There’s still really good horses in there, but if we didn’t have confidence in him we wouldn’t have put up the $35,000. We think the Lasix has really helped him after the North America Cup, so we’re looking forward to the race.”
Al Papi and Melillo, both trained by Burke, finished second and fourth, respectively, in last week’s Meadowlands Pace, where they were only a head behind winner Brandon Blvd. Sweet Lovin Lou was fifth in the Pace, beaten by just a length.
Racing begins at 12:45 p.m. (EDT) Saturday at The Meadows. The Adios eliminations are races 6 and 7. For free past performances, click here.
Following are the Adios elimination fields in post order:
Race 6
PP – Horse – Trainer – Driver – Morning Line
1) Frantic Hanover, Ron Burke, Tim Tetrick, 5-1
2) Treacherous Lou, Robert Cleary, Andrew McCarthy, 8-1
3) Another C Note, Ron Burke, Yannick Gingras, 4-1
4) Loua Dipa, Ron Burke, Ronnie Wrenn Jr., 5-2
5) Stingman, Rick Hercules, Dave Palone, 6-1
6) Odds On Mr Mamba, Melanie Wrenn, James MacDonald, 7-2
7) Apocalypsebluechip, Joe Bongiorno, Todd McCarthy, 8-1
Race 7
PP – Horse – Trainer – Driver – Morning Line
1) No Waitlist, Blake MacIntosh, Doug McNair, 6-1
2) Southwind Spencer, Doug Snyder, Tim Tetrick, 10-1
3) Al Papi, Ron Burke, Yannick Gingras, 2-1
4) Thai Hanover, Mitchell York, Jeremy Indof, 8-1
5) Melillo, Ron Burke, Ronnie Wrenn Jr., 4-1
6) Toast Of The Town, Noel Daley, Todd McCarthy, 8-1
7) Easy Breeze, Eddie Dennis, Andrew McCarthy, 10-1
8) Sweet Lovin Lou, Daniel Lagace, Scott Zeron, 9-2