Jul 24, 2025 5 min read

By John Sacco

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

After 30 years as an owner of Standardbred horses, Scott Alberg is relishing these precious days.

Alberg has an ownership interest in Adios Pace top contender Twisted Destiny.

The 2-1 Adios Pace morning line favorite inspires Alberg and helps the veteran harness racing fan and owner make sense of the love and enthusiasm he has long held.

The 59th Grade 1 Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids Saturday is a 16-race card. The Adios is the 15th race on the card and should post around 4:45 p.m.

The Adios day card has a post time of 11:30 a.m. and will be broadcast nationally on FOX from 3-6 p.m.

“Oh man, I’ve never expected as much success with Twisted Destiny,” said Alberg, who shares ownership of The Messenger Stakes winning horse with Let It Ride Stables, FL; Enviro Stables, FL; and Jesmeral Stables, NY.

“I started in this business 30 years ago and I’ve been lucky meeting the right people in the industry. A friend of mine introduced me to a trainer named Tom Fanning. Tom was one of the nicest people I could’ve met. I really enjoyed my time with Tom and the camaraderie we had with the horses throughout the years.

The first horse Alberg purchased was named In The Paint, who won the first race he entered.

“That’s where my career began,” Alberg said. “I would say in the three decades I’ve owned horses, I purchased mostly claimers and a few yearlings. The ones I did purchase were not royally bred. I learned how difficult the industry really is.”

Alberg, who historically has been a single owner, purchased a horse named Competition Cam, a $2,500 claimer at Pocono Downs.

“He broke down just one week after I purchased him and that’s when I decided to take a break from harness racing for a while,” Alberg said. “I was speaking with (some friends) who were international owners and breeders. I purchased a few horses with them and suddenly I was racing in New Zealand and Australia and that was a lot of fun. I was excited to be back in the game. I was generously offered a partnership for Twisted Destiny as a 2-year-old.

“When Twisted Destiny was born, he was very small in stature. He was racing at the second-tier level, one of his Pennsylvania series races, (trainer) Chris Ryder noticed that his one testicle dropped. Suddenly, Twisted Destiny was a colt. He started winning as he grew and became a lot stronger. I think he’s still growing. I can’t believe how lucky we’ve been.”

Alberg said Twisted Destiny is not eligible for the Cane Pace nor the Breeder’s Crown.

That makes The Adios a huge race for driver Dexter Dunn, who is seeking his first Adios victory, and Ryder, who would add to his Hall of Fame resume.

“(Twisted Destiny) was just so small,” Alberg said. “I was a little suspect and a little concerned but it was a great opportunity to get in on a 2-year-old.

“To be perfectly candid with you. I’ve never made a profit in the business. I only lost a little some years. Other years, I lost a little more.”

Moira Fanning, the wife of Tom Fanning and chief operating officer for the Hambletonian Society, said an Adios victory would be poetic justice for Alberg.

“He’s been going to the Meadowlands for probably 30 years as a fan and a bettor,” Moira Fanning said. “He had some minor horse ownership but then offered a small piece of Twisted Destiny, which has grown to a large piece now. This is the only horse of this class he’s ever owned.”

Name Change

The Meadows has changed the name of the Adios Day Adioo Volo for 3-year-old pacing fillies.

For the last several years, the race was named “The Quinton Patterson” Adioo Volo. It has been changed to “The Mickey Burke” Addio Volo.

Scott Lishia, director of racing at The Meadows, said a name change has been discussed the past two years. Dawnelle Mock, executive director of the Meadows’ Standardbred Owners Association said the organization asked the track to consider naming a race after the late Burke. She added that the MSOA did not have any particular race in mind.

Burke was a national harness racing figure and made an enormous impact locally and was the patriarch of the Burke family and Burke Racing Stable, Fredericktown.

The Burke family is sponsoring this year’s Adios in memory of Mickey Burke Sr., who passed away in 2024.

Patterson, who passed away in late 2006, helped build The Meadows harness track and was its last original employee.

He was a friend of Delvin Miller and his construction crew helped when the facility was built starting in 1961 and he went to work there when it opened in 1963.

As the grandstand maintenance manager, Patterson was a beloved figure to employees and patrons and known as the man with the huge ring of original keys with a big smile and heart.

He was in the winner’s circle for each of the first 40 Adios Paces and traditionally placed the blanket of orchids on the winning horse.

After his death, the Adioo Volo was renamed in his honor.