Racing Hill, Manhattan Beach win Adios eliminations at The Meadows

by Evan Pattak

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 (July 23) other $25,000 elimination at The Meadows.

Those two will be joined in next Saturday (July 30) afternoon’s $400,000 Adios final by Check Six, Lyons Snyder, More Dragon, Fernando Hanover, Another Daily Copy, American Passport and Big Top Hanover. Big Top Hanover earned his berth in the field of nine as the fifth place finisher with higher career earnings. Five of the six entrants trained by Ron Burke made it through to the final.

Racing Hill easily holds his rivals at bay in his $25,000 Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at The Meadows.

The draw for Adios post positions is set for Tuesday (July 26) at 12:30 p.m. and can be seen on Meadows Live! The connections of Racing Hill and Manhattan Beach will choose their post positions, with the others drawn randomly.

Racing Hill boasted the strongest credentials in the field, having won the final of the $500,000 Hempt Memorial and finishing second in the $732,050 Meadowlands Pace and the $1 million final of the North America Cup. If that grueling schedule of five tough races in little more than six weeks took anything out of him, it wasn’t evident in his Adios elimination.

The son of Roll With Joe-Chasing Ideals made the front with an extended quarter-pole move for Brett Miller and thwarted the first-over challenge of Check Six to down him by three-quarters of a length. Early leader Lyons Snyder finished third.

“He’s just ultra-sharp,” said Tony Alagna, who trains Racing Hill for owner/breeder Tom Hill. “He felt so good coming out of the Meadowlands Pace—he was so fresh and jogged great—that I felt good about bringing him here. If the final had been an open draw, I probably would have preferred that he sit in so we could make the final. But with the new format this year, it’s important that you get to pick your post—especially with a bunch of Burke horses making the final. You don’t want to draw the nine-hole against a big entry.”

The victory pushed Racing Hill’s lifetime bankroll over $770,000.

Manhattan Beach saved ground for most of the mile before Matt Kakaley sent him through a seam in mid-stretch. He held off the Lightning Lane charge of his stablemate, Fernando Hanover, to defeat him by a neck in 1:50.2, a career best. Another Daily Copy, who fronted the mile, saved show.

Chris Gooden photos

Manhattan Beach held off his stablemate Fernando Hanover in a lifetime best 1:50.2 mile to take the second Adios elimination.

Kakaley said he wasn’t worried about being pinned late.

“If I’d had to wait for the passing lane, he’d have got through,” he said. “There was no worry there. He raced really good in the Meadowlands Pace, and he raced good today. He was sneaky good a few starts before the North America Cup. Hopefully he brings his ‘A’ game next week.”

Burke conditions Manhattan Beach, aSomebeachsomewhere-Benear gelding who soared over $200,000 in career earnings, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Geoffrey Lyons Mound and Wingfield Brothers.

As thoughts turned to Tuesday’s draw for post positions, both camps seemed to be heading in the same direction.

“The inside here is tough to get off,” Miller said. “I got away fourth today from the rail, and I was leaving just about as hard as I could. I could live with post three, but I think I’d rather have post four, right around there.”

Kakaley’s reasoning was similar.

“I don’t want the one-or -wo hole ,” he said. “Probably three or four.”