Jul 27, 2023 5 min read

It’s My Show was a no show as a 2-year-old in 2022.

He is center stage now.

The 3-year-old gelding is the hottest pacer going. Off a world-record performance for 3-year-old geldings in Saturday’s Adios elimination race, It’s My Show has flipped the script this year.

All eyes will be on him in the 57th Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at The Meadows. The purse is $350,000.

He is 7-for-7 in 2023. He won the North American Cup in May. He looks fresh and strong.

So what’s the difference? Why was he winless last year, and so far, unbeaten this year?

“I’ve got nothing,” trainer Linda Toscano said of It’s My Show. “I wish I knew. Last year, he qualified well and looked like a nice horse. In the races, he would just disappear. Every start he got worse and worse.

“There was no illness, no blood or no sickness.”

Toscano, looking for the first Adios training win, said driver Yannick Gingras put the horse in position to win and just didn’t get the results all connections were expecting.

“He just didn’t perform,” Toscano explained. “I thought there was no point training him anymore. (Owner) Richard (Young) ask me if he should sell him. I said don’t sell him, cut (castrate) him. We cut him.

“He came back good. I still didn’t believe in him even after he looked good in qualifiers and his first couple starts. He was a much happier gelding. And he is performing.”

Driver Scott Zeron has believed in the horse and is reaping the benefits from that trust. Last week’s word-record of 1:47.4 for a 3-year-old gelding on a 5/8-mile track is proof.

“He’s fresh from five weeks off,” Zeron said. “He came back sharp on the elimination. I love him because in this game, it pays to be quick and aggressive.

“He waits for you to tell him what to do. You can slow him and speed him up. Last year, he never won and that was discouraging. Yannick put him in great spots.

“Having the favorite just means you have a competitive horse. In this kind of race for this kind of money, drivers will be aggressive. I have options with him.”

Cannibal, the second favorite, has also performed well this year. Trained by Nancy Takter and driven by Yannick Gingras, he is 5-for-6 with his lone loss in the Meadowlands Pace final where he finished sixth despite pacing 1:48.1. He went 1:48.2 in winning his Adios elimination race.

“He raced well last week,” Takter said. “He finished strong through the finish line. I’m sure some of the drivers will be aggressive off the gates. Both It’s My Show and my horse can get out well and have a lot of speed to leave the gate.”

Dave Palone, who is driving Seven Colors, said the sport is “so speed oriented” that four or five drivers are going to drive to get their horse in position to be close.

“Yannick’s going to have a game plan for (Cannibal) and Fulton’s going to be aggressive from the outside (with driver Dexter Dunn). These are some of the best drivers in the world. They, including myself, are going to go for the win.

“Scott is one of my favorites and one of the best drivers in the country. He’s a great driver. He’s just so patient with his horses.”

Ervin Hanover, trained by Ron Burke, will be driven by Ronnie Wrenn Jr. Bamboozler will be driven by Chris Page.

Down the stretch

All the Adios Day action will be livestreamed, with free access at the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association Facebook page and YouTube channel. The livestream show, which begins at 11:45 a.m., will be hosted by Meadows race announcer Jeff Zidek, harness announcer and prognosticator Gabe Prewitt and Washington County native Dawnelle Mock of the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association.

• Palone has the most starts in Adios history with 96 overall (eliminations and the final).
• Toscano or Takter could become the third female to train the Adios champion. The two female trainers to condition an Adios champion are Casie Coleman with McWicked in 2014 and Jessica Okusko a year later with Dudes The Man.
• Toscano and Takter are the first two females to win Adios elimination races in the 57-year history of the race.
• With an Adios win, Takter could join her father, Jimmy Takter, as the first father-daughter combination to have Adios training wins. Two father and son combinations have Adios training wins: Billy and Tom Haughton and Mickey and Ron Burke.