by Evan Pattak, for The Meadows
Washington, PA — Racing Hill, the 8-5 morning line favorite, will leave from post four in Saturday’s (July 30) $400,000 final of the 50th edition of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at The Meadows.
Manhattan Beach, who along with Racing Hill captured an Adios elimination, goes from post three and has been made the 3-1 third choice.
As elimination winners, the connections of Racing Hill and Manhattan Beach earned the right to select their post positions, with Racing Hill winning the shake for the first pick. The other seven post positions were drawn randomly Tuesday.
Tony Alagna, trainer of Racing Hill, saw his second horse in the final, American Passport, draw post six. Ron Burke, who conditions five of the nine Adios finalists, got a mixed bag, drawing posts one, three, five, eight and nine.
“You hate to get eight and nine,” he said, “but we’re pretty spread out. We’ll go from there.”
Burke said he chose post three rather than post five — the “winningest” post position at The Meadows — for Manhattan Beach because he wanted to be inside Racing Hill.
“Manhattan Beach can leave the gate well,” he said. “I don’t mind sitting behind Racing Hill, but I don’t want to see him with an easy lead.”
The Adios anchors a power-packed card that features five other Grand Circuit stakes. It goes as race 12 with an approximate post time of 4 p.m. Saturday’s program gets underway at 12 noon.
The Adios field, with trainers, preliminary driver assignments and morning line odds:
1. More Dragon-Ron Burke-Tim Tetrick-15/1
2. Another Daily Copy-Nicholas DeVita-Tony Hall-10/1
3. Manhattan Beach-Ron Burke-Matt Kakaley-3/1
4. Racing Hill-Tony Alagna-Brett Miller-8/5
5. Check Six-Ron Burke-Yannick Gingras-5/2
6. American Passport-Tony Alagna-Scott Zeron-8/1
7. Lyons Snyder-Mark Silva-David Miller-5/1
8. Fernando Hanover-Ron Burke-Tim Tetrick-10/1
9. Big Top Hanover-Ron Burke-Yannick Gingras-15/1
- Racing Hill, Manhattan Beach win Adios eliminations at The Meadows (Saturday, July 23, 2016)
Racing Hill overpowered the field as he captured his elimination in the 50th edition of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids in 1:49.1, while Manhattan Beach found late racing room to take Saturday’s other $25,000 elimination at The Meadows.
- Delvin Miller Adios leads busy Grand Circuit stakes weekend (Wednesday, July 27, 2016)
The $400,000 Delvin Miller Adios at The Meadows leads a busy weekend of Grand Circuit stakes action.
- The Adios: top 10 performances through 50 years (Wednesday, July 27, 2016)
The Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids has provided harness racing fans with five decades of excitement, showcasing champions who have paced into history bearing the blanket of orchids bestowed the winner. Champion No. 50 will be crowned Saturday afternoon (July 30) when nine top 3-year-olds vie for the orchids in the $400,000 Adios final at The Meadows.
- Adios Day card features $45,000 in total-pool guarantees (Friday, July 29, 2016)
Saturday’s (July 30) card at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino, which features the $400,000 final of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids, will offer four total-pool guarantees totaling $45,000, giving fans a chance to celebrate the 50th edition of the Adios in style.
- Racing Hill survives brutal fractions, draws away in $400,000 Adios final at The Meadows (Saturday, July 30, 2016)
Looped from the gate and forced into brutal fractions of 25.2/52.1—in the slop, no less—Racing Hill showed his talent and heart when he drew away from the field late and captured Saturday’s (July 30) $400,000 final of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at The Meadows in a career-best 1:48.4. The pocket-sitting Check Six could not improve his position in the lane and finished second, 2-1/4 lengths back, while Fernando Hanover was a ground-saving third.