Odds on Mr Mamba stuck in middle at Adios
MEADOW LANDS — Odds On Mr Mamba picked the No. 3 post for Saturday’s Grade 1 60th Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids and finds him surrounded by Ron Burke-trained horses.
Two to his left and two to his right.
Al Papi, a member of Burke’s five-horse brigade in the race, selected post No. 4.
By virtue of them winning their respective elimination races, the connections of Odds On Mr Mamba and Al Papi earned the right to select their post position.
The rest were drawn Wednesday evening in The Adios Room at the North Strabane Township racetrack.
Other post positions include Burke-trained Another C Note and Frantic Hanover, the first and second posts, filly Loua Dipa in post 5 with Sweet Lovin Lou (6), Treacherous Lou (7), Toast of the Town (8) and the final Burke-trained horse Melillo in post 9.
Track announcer Jeff Zidek’s morning line odds have Al Papi at 5-2, Odds on Mr Mamba second at 3-1. Despite the outside post, Melillo is 5-1. Other odds are Frantic Hanover and Loua Dipa are 6-1, while Sweet Lovin is set at 12-1. The two long shots are Treacherous Lou and Toast of the Town are 15-1.
Does being surrounded by Burke-trained pacers on gate present any issues for Odds On Mr Mamba?
“I’m sure it’s going to present plenty of problems,” said trainer Melanie Wrenn. “It’s a long season. Mamba is fresh. Some of these guys around him are studs. Big, strong horses.”
Burke, who has a “who’s who” drivers’ lineup for his five entrants would only say that Tim Tetrick will drive Frantic Hanover and Yannick Gingras will drive Al Papi.
Ronnie Wrenn Jr, Dexter Dunn and Chris Page are his other three drivers for Melillo, Loua Dipa and Another C Note.
Tetrick and Gingras are Hall of Famers. Dunn is recognized as the best in the world. Wrenn Jr. has fully established himself and Page is a winner of The Adios and Little Brown Jug with Bythemissal.
Ask what the plan is for the race, Burke quipped: “For my guys it’s hard enough making a plan for one horse let alone five.”
The Hall of Fame trainer said The Adios is “the race for us to win (meaning the Burke Stable) each year. It’s home.”
Local sweep
Three 2-year-old male pacers, all with local connections, swept the Roy Davis Arden Downs three divisions Saturday at The Meadows.
That group included:
• Atomix Hanover (by Stay Hungry and bred by Hanover Shoe Farms Inc.) in 1:51.4 for driver James MacDonald, trainer Tim Twaddle and owners Thestable Atomix Hanover and Hutchison Harness LLC., both from Ohio
• Eastie Boy (by Sweet Lou and bred by owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Fredericktown, Weaver Bruscemi LLC. and Phil Collura, all from Pennsylvania) in 1:52.2 for Wrenn Jr. and Burke.
Eastie Boy is a full brother to Louprint.
• Loud Luxury (by Captaintreacherous and bred by 1876472 Ontario Inc. and Princeton Farms Inc.), in 1:55.2 for driver Tetrick, trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Libby and Purnel, Knox Services Inc. and Frank Baldachino of Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and New Jersey.
Wager now
The Meadows announced Tuesday that more than $100,000 in guaranteed pools will be offered during the Adios race card.
The guarantees include:
• Two Pentafecta pools with the first in Race 8. The Penta will have a $10,000 guaranteed pool, while a Pentafecta on the Adios Final will be guaranteed to a $20,000 pool.
• A special Adios Pick3, which will culminate in the Adios Final, will have a guaranteed $10,000 pool. The race will have a $3 minimum, and there will be a low 15 percent takeout.
• Three Pick4s will have guaranteed pools during the afternoon. The Pick4 covering races 5-8 will have a guaranteed $10,000 pool, while the Pick4 including races 9-12 will have a $20,000 guarantee. The final four races, which will end with the Adios final, will have a $20,000 guarantee for the Late Pick4.
• The card will open with a $5,000 guarantee on the Early Pick5, which will consist of races 1-5. A later Pick5, which will include the final five races of the day, including the Adios Final, will have a $10,000 guarantee. All guarantees are offered in partnership with the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering program and the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association.
NOTE: Michael Carter, The Meadows’ director of racing, and track announcer Jeff Zidek contributed to this story.