Favored Captain Albano pins down Adios victory
Adios.jpg Chris Gooden/The Meadows
By Joe Tuscano
For the Observer-Reporter
newsrooom@observer-reporter.com
MEADOW LANDS – It wasn’t the same dominating performance as in the elimination but Todd McCarthy will take it.
McCarthy, in the sulky for Captain Albano, had an easy race in last week’s elimination, opening a wide margin and cruising to an easy victory.
In Saturday’s 58th edition of the Adios Pace for the Orchids, it didn’t go that smoothly. Captain Albano, who left as the 6-5 favorite, fought off a late surge from Wish You Well, winning by a neck in the $350,000 final. The win was the fourth this year for the 3-year-old who raised his record to 4-1-2 in eight races.
Captain Albano paid $3.00 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show. Timeisonmyside, a Tim Twaddle horse with Anthony MacDonald in the sulky, finished third. He finished with a time of 1:49.2.
“We had a good draw and I was looking for the forward position,” said McCarthy. “We ended up where I wanted to be in the end and the horse just raced brilliant. I can’t be more happy with him.”
Captain Albano led from early on, hitting 24.5 at the quarter, 54.0 at the half and 1:21.2 at the three-quarter pole. He raced 28.0 over the final quarter.
“He ran so well in the elimination,” McCarthy said. “To finish up with those fractions today I thought was pretty impressive.”
Captain Albano is trained Noel Daley. But Daly skipped the trip to The Meadows and went on ahead to New Jersey to prepare for the Hambletonian.
“The Adios is a great race and it’s an honor to win,” said McCarthy, who came over from Australia four years ago. “I was just happy to be in it.”
McCarthy began racing in Australia but finally decided to try his luck in the United States. He’s won 10 of 16 races the past two years.
“I’ve been here four years,” he said.
Twaddle came in third but he was no doubt thrilled with the outcome of his entry, Timeisonmyside. At the 2022 Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg. Twaddle got into a bidding war with an unknown buyer, who landed the horse for $160,00.
Soon after, Twaddle found out the unknown bidder was a member of his fractured stable. Even though he was the under-bidder, Twaddle became Timeisonmyside’s trainer without having to spend a penny for the purchase price.
Palone hits milestone
Dave Palone, the winningest driver in North Amerca history, won his No. 20,900 race by driving Red Right Hand across first in Race No. 6. It was the 22nd career win for Red Right Hand, owned by Greg Luther Racing LLC of Blacklick, Ohio.
In other races
My Girl EJ won the Quinton Patterson Adio Volo with a track and stakes record of 1:48 4/5 in race 10, just 2/5 away from the world record time. Dexter Dunn was in the sulky for the Ron Burke horse.
Burke had two other winners, Papi’s Rocket in Race 3, the Arden Downs Division for 2-year-olds and Blessed Hanover in the Mary Libb Miller Arden Downs for 2-year-olds.
Splendid, with Chris Lems in the sulky, won the James Manderino Arden Downs, with a time of 1:54.3. Todd Rooney of Canonsburg owns the horse. He was parked for the entire mile.