WASHINGTON, PA, July 22, 2023–It’s My Show (Sweet Lou) put on a show once more, blazing to a world record 1:47.4 Saturday (July 22) in a $25,000 elimination division of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows for three-year-old harness racing pacers.
Cannibal (Sweet Lou-No More Losses) captured the other elimination. Those two will be joined in Saturday’s $350,000 final by the rest of the top four finishers in each elim as well as the fifth-place finisher with higher career earnings. Thus, in addition to It’s My Show and Cannibal, the Adios final field will include Redwood Hanover, Seven Colors, Fulton, Ken Hanover, Ervin Hanover, Flite Craft and Bamboozler (who was the qualifying fifth-place finisher. Linda Toscano will be the only trainer with two finalists, sending out It’s My Show and Fulton.
The draw for Adios final post positions will take place Wednesday, with the connections of It’s My Show and Cannibal choosing their post positions after a random draw to determine their selection order. All other post positions will be determined by random draw. The July 29 Adios Day card shapes up as a blockbuster, featuring five Grand Circuit stakes in addition to the Adios. First post that day is 11:45 AM.
Ervin Hanover cut the fractions in his elimination, throwing down a swift 1:20.1 three-quarters while It’s My Show followed patiently in third. But when Scott Zeron tipped him off the cones, the gelding left Ervin Hanover in his wake and defeated the closing Ken Hanover by a length while Ervin Hanover saved show. The mile is the fastest ever by a 3-year-old gelding on a five-eighths-mile track, knocking a tick from the record shared by Wiggle It Jiggleit and Lucan Hanover.
It’S MY SHOW REPLAY
The Pepsi Norh America Cup winner is now undefeated in seven outings this year–with career earnings of $536,215– after a winless freshman season. But he hadn’t raced since the June 17 North America Cup, skipping the Meadowlands Pace by design, and Toscano, who conditions the homebred for Richard Young and Joanne Young, wondered if he’d be as tight as he needed to be.
“This was a really nerve-wracking race for me because it’s chancy when you give one five weeks off,” she said. “It was what I wanted to do, I wanted to freshen him up, I want to try to keep him fresh for the whole season. Yet at the same time, you want him to be tight, happy sound. The race was important because it’s the Adios.
“I’m really happy that he didn’t power move back to the lead because that would have created a really tough race for him today.”
Cannibal suffered his only defeat of the year in the Meadowlands Pace final, when he struggled to make up ground from the back of the pack. Though he hadn’t been better than third at the quarter in any start this year, Yannick Gingras was determined to give him his chance this week, battling hard for the lead before yielding to Seven Colors. Winning trainer Nancy Takter said getting to the point early wasn’t necessarily a key goal.
“This was a different race from last week,” she said. “The flow just didn’t develop in the Meadowlands Pace the way I would have liked. But he raced super; he just wasn’t in a good spot. He can race on the pace, he can race off the pace. It’s the first time he’s ever been here, and he got around the track good. So I think we’ll keep things the same for next week.”
Cannibal kicked clear in the lane and defeated Redwood Hanover by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:48.2, with Seven Colors third. Diamond Creek Racing owns the homered lifted his lifetime bankroll to $194,978.
Takter said Cannibal is ticketed for Kentucky Sires Stakes as well as most of the rich late-season events.
CANNIBAL REPLAY
Aintbluenomore (Heston Blue Chip-Jennaās Delight) avenged last weekās defeat by Special Menu big time in Saturdayās Pennsylvania Sires Stake at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, scoring a 1:51 front-end victory at 12-1. The $169,520 event for freshman colt and gelding pacers, known as the Albatross, was contested over three divisions, with Lyons Rock and Tua Many Kings taking the other splits.
In a June 15 Pop Up Series leg at The Meadows, Special Menu got to the point cleanly, and Aintbluenomore couldnāt track him down from the pocket. But in the Albatross, the gelding turned the tables for Jeremy Indof, pocketing his rival. As thy turned for home, the leader maintained his margin while Special Menu faded to fifth. Aintbluenomore triumphed for owner/trainer Mitchell York, 1-1/4 lengths better than Louās World, with Captain Fear Not third.
AINTBLUENOMORE REPLAY
Things appeared bleak for Lyons Rock, trailing by 6 lengths at the half. But the son of Captaintreacherous-Planet Rock launched an impressive, uncovered bid for Tim Tetrick that carried him to victory in a career-best 1:53. Sweet Beach Life was 1-1/2 lengths back in second while Swifty Lazar completed the ticket.
Jim King, Jr., who conditions Lyons Rock for Threelyons racing, said he wasnāt surprised by the power of the coltās first-over move.
āHeās been progressing right along,ā King said. āHis manners arenāt exactly where we want them yet, but heās a high-speed horse, and he likes what he does.ā
LYONS ROCK REPLAY
$120,000 PA Stallion Series ā 2-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pacers
Saturdayās Adios eliminations card also offered six divisions of this stake, with Gem Quality, Hunger Strike, Syed Ali K, Tyreek Chill, Mikis Best Shot and T H Tyson taking the splits. Trainer Chris Ryder enjoyed a stakes double with Gem Quality and T H Tyson.
When first-timer Gem Quality peeled off cover for Dexter Dunn, he found another gear and drew off to prevail by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:53. Fredericktown Lad and Steam Play rounded out the ticket.
āHeās a nice 2-year-old, pretty intelligent. Heās bred well, and heās a good-looking horse as well,ā said Dunn, who handled the son of Captain Crunch-Twinkle in both his qualifiers. āI didnāt even turn the stick on him in the race. He knows whatās heās doing.ā
Let It Ride Stables, Bottom Line Racing, Brad Grant and Enviro Stables campaign Gem Quality.
Indof piloted three winners on the 14-race card.
Live racing at The Meadows resumes Wednesday when the program features a $1,840.77 carryover in the Early Pentafecta (race 4). First post is 12:45 PM.
For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.
by Evan Pattak, for the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association