by Evan Pattak, for the Meadows

Washington, PA — Put eight trainers in a room to preview a race, and you may get as many opinions. But when those trainers are the conditioners of the nine horses in Saturday’s $500,000 final of the Delvin Miller Adios at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino, something approaching consensus emerges: the horse with the best trip may wear the Adios blanket of orchids.

Here’s Jimmy Takter on his hopeful, elimination winner Rockin Image, who must leave from post nine: “If he’s in front, I don’t want him to have to work too hard to get there. Ideally, he’ll be sitting second over going into the last turn, and they’ll be racing pretty good up front. In the Adios, they always do.”

Trainer Ron Burke envisions an eerily similar trip for his horse, Versado, also an elimination winner: “I’d love to see him second up and get dragged into the race, but if he needs to be first up into a hot pace, that would be fine. I don’t want to be fourth over and not get a clear shot.”

Tim Pinske, who trains longshot Whackamole Hanover, is more succinct: “We need a good draw, and we need a good trip.”

Whackamole Hanover was so-so on the first part of the equation, drawing post six.

The Meadows-based Burke, North America’s leading trainer, figures Versado already has a leg up on the best trip.

“For the eliminations, some horses had to ship six hours here and six hours home,” he said. “Our horse had to walk a few hundred yards to the track and a few hundred yards back to his paddock. That has to mean something.”

Burke is no stranger to the Adios winner’s circle. In 2007, when he was assistant trainer for his father, Mickey, May June Character led an unprecedented 1-2-3 sweep for the stable. A win this year might be sweeter, he said, as Versado’s owners in addition to Burke Racing Stable — Mark Weaver, Mike Bruscemi, Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold — all hail from Pennsylvania, and none had a piece of May June Character.

“A win would be special because my whole family is still involved, and Mark and Mike are involved,” Burke said. “They’re our biggest owners and basically my closest friends in the business. It would mean a lot if we could get it done for them.

“It also would be special to win with Dave Palone. He’s won an Adios, we’ve won an Adios, but we didn’t do it together. It would be nice to win one together since so much of what we’ve accomplished has been with David.”

All trainers indicated their Adios hopefuls are sound and preparing well for the final. That’s especially good news for Nova Artist who, trainer Lou Pena reported, stepped on a nail during the week before his elimination, in which he finished third.

“We kept the wound open, and it healed up right,” Pena said. “He’s bouncing around this morning and jogged a couple miles. If his health is good, get ready to look at an Adios winner.”

Driver Scramble: Brian Sears drove both George Teague, Jr. Adios finalists, I’m Gorgeous and Delmarvalous, in their eliminations. When Sears went to Delmarvalous, Teague was left with an opening on I’m Gorgeous. Pinske was in a similar situation when Brett Miller chose We Will See over Whackamole Hanover. Both trainers offered their drives to Andy Miller, who selected I’m Gorgeous. Pinske countered with Tim Tetrick.

The field for the Adios final, from the rail:

1. Trick Man–Ray Paver
2. Nova Artist–Eric Ledford
3. Versado–Dave Palone
4. We Will See–Brett Miller
5. Pang Shui–Jim Morrill, Jr.
6. Whackamole Hanover–Tim Tetrick
7. I’m Gorgeous–Andy Miller
8. Delmarvalous–Brian Sears
9. Rockin Image–Yannick Gingras