Field of 15 for Adios eliminations
By John Sacco
For the Observer-Reporter
It is not who has entered the race for the Adios Pace championship, it is more about who did not.
The two 3-year-old pacers who would have been the favorites – Legendary Hanover and Nijinsky – did not enter.
In fact, there is not one 3-year-old pacer entered in the 15-horse field that is ranked in this week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown harness racing Top 10 poll nor a horse listed among the other 26 horses who received votes.
The Adios eliminations will be contested Saturday night in two divisions during the eighth and ninth races.
The local connections entered are Timeisonmyside, trained by The Meadows’ Tim Twaddle and driven by Anthony MacDonald; two horses trained by Ron Burke – Booming Economy and Noblesville. Those three are all in the second division.
A third horse trained by Burke – Outer Banks – is in the first division.
“Noblesville is a pretty good horse and went a big mile the last time out,” Burke said. “It’s not the toughest Adios ever. My horses have been all over this track. It’s our hometown race and we want to support it.
“Noblesville is getting sharp again. He’s ready and Ronnie has driven him and knows him.”
Noblesville, of the Burke Racing Stable, Fredericktown, has won one of five races this season with three consecutive seconds. His last race he went 1:50.2 with a 26.1 final quarter.
The Morning Line favorites will be Captain Luke, trained by Tony Alagna and scheduled to be driven by Scott Zeron, in the first division, and Captain Albano, trained by Noel Daley and scheduled to be driven by Todd McCarthy, in the second division.
Another to keep an eye on just considering connections alone is Rush In, trained by Linda Toscano and driven by Zeron.
In the first division, from the rail out is Sweet Beach Life (2-1), Wish You Well (10-1), R N B Band (15-1), Huntingforchrome (4-1), Outer Banks (12-1), Captain Luke (9-5) and Clever Cody (7-1).
In the second division from the rail out is Timeisonmyside (10-1), Nuclear (9-2), Rush In (8-1), Booming Economy (4-1), Captain Albano (2-1), Noblesville (8-1), Number Cruncher (6-1) and Courtship (10-1).
“I think Captain Albano could be a sneaky horse,” Burke said. “Nobody in here is killing it.”
Local drivers scheduled for an appearance in The Adios eliminations include Mike Wilder (R N B Band), Ronnie Wrenn Jr. (Outer Banks and Noblesville) and Aaron Merriman (Clever Cody).