Southwind Lynx tabbed Adios Pace favorite

The draw for Saturday’s Coors Delvin Miller Adios Pace, held Monday afternoon on the outdoor deck at The Meadows, produced two competitive fields of eight colts and geldings. Those youngsters will battle in eliminations in races 10 and 11, with the top four in each advancing to the 15th race final. The eliminations are worth $50,000 with the 15th race final dash worth $320,125.

K & R Racing and Teague Inc.’s Southwind Lynx, who already has annexed a pair of million dollar races with victories in the Meadowlands Pace and Art Rooney, has been installed the 5-2 early line favorite in the first division. The son of Real Artist, trained by co-owner George Teague, drew post position two with regular pilot Tim Tetrick named to drive.

Southwind Lynx added to his laurels with a new lifetime best score 1:48.3 winning his division of the Oliver Wendell Holmes at the Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day. A $42,000 yearling purchase out of the Lexington Select Yearling Sale, he’s banked $1,146,161 thus far and is the richest of the 16 Adios entrants.

Second choice in the first elimination at 7-2 from post five with driver Andy Miller is Kinetic Yankee. A son of Western Ideal, the colt has been ultra-consistent this season, with five wins and four seconds in 10 starts for trainer Erv Miller and owners Brittany Farms, Fred Mansoor, Martha Frank and John Fodera. Erv Miller captured his first Adios last August when Cactus Creek pulled off an upset.

Third choice in the early line at odds of 9-2 in the 10th race is Sutter Hanover, who drew post eight with David Miller listed to drive by trainer Mark Harder. The son of Dragon Again is closing in on $1 million in earnings, thanks in large part to a victory in the $450,000 Governor’s Cup at 2 and solid on-the-board finishes in big money events at 3. He races for the partnership of Deena Frost, Sampson Street Stables, Fox Hollow Farm, and TLP Stable.

Watta Hotshot is the 5-2 early line pick in the second elimination. He was purchased just a week ago by last year’s Trainer of the Year, Meadows-based Mickey Burke, who trains five of the 16 Adios entrants. While winless in nine starts this year, the son of Artiscape has banked $213,710 at 3 and was climbing over horses looking for room in Saturday’s Holmes when he finished second to Southwind Lynx.

“We came so close to winning last year with Texas Shootout that we want to see what it feels like [to win the Adios],” said Randy Ringer, who owns Watta Hotshot along with Sylvia Burke, Weaver Bruscemi LLC [Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi] and JJK Stables [Kevin Koury and partners]. “I have to give all the credit to Mark Weaver and Ronnie Burke – they picked him out and invited us in. He’s staked to everything the rest of the season.”

Ringer, who has raced horses since 1993, said to this point, Adios elimination winner Texas Shootout is far and away his best horse.

“What a thrill he gave us in the Adios and in the Little Brown Jug,” he said. “In the Jug, he paid $110 when he won his heat, and all the top ones were in there with him. The only thing that could top that would be to win the Adios.” Dave Palone is named to drive the son of Artiscape from post position four.

Second choice at 7-2 in the second elimination is another Burke trainee, Won The West, from post six with Greg Grismore listed to drive. Unraced at two, the son of Western Hanover has 11 wins in 17 starts this season for owners Strollin Stable, William Robinson and James Koehler, all of Ohio.

Yankee Skyscaper, post seven and George Brennan, is third choice at 9-2. One of the richest of the Adios finalists with $746,672 earned, he captured the rich Metro Pace at two. Chris Ryder trains for the Yankee Skyscaper Partners.

Saturday’s doubleheader cards will mark the final action for The Meadows’ historic grandstand, which will make way for a sparkling new racino. Live racing will take a two-month break during the onset of construction and is set to resume in mid-October. The Adios, along with the $150,000 Adioo Volo for 3-year-old pacing fillies and the $100,000 Gov. Lawrence for freshman pacing colts, will be contested on the afternoon card, with a first race post time of 12 noon.

The fields for the 41st Adios:

First elim [Race 10] Est. Post time 3:15 p.m.
Post, Horse, Driver, Odds
1 Pardon You, Dave Palone, 8-1
2 Southwind Lynx, Tim Tetrick, 2-1
3 TJ’s Ideal, Dave Palone, 8-1
4 B Blissfull, Brian Sears, 10-1
5 Kinetic Yankee, Andy Miller, 7-2
6 May June Character, Dave Palone, 6-1
7 Hot Rod Mindale, Mike Wilder, 10-1
8 Sutter Hanover, David Miller, 9-2

Second elim [Race 11] Est. Post time 3:40 p.m.
Post, Horse, Driver, Odds
1 Pan Giovanni, Tony Hall, 10-1
2 Pandora’s Sox, John Campbell, 6-1
3 Hennessy Hanover, Ben Stafford Jr., 10-1
4 Watta Hotshot, Dave Palone, 8-1
5 Isaac Newton, Ron Pierce, 8-1
6 Won The West, Greg Grismore, 7-2
7 Yankee Skyscaper, George Brennan, 9-2
8 What’s Up Now, Tim Tetrick, 8-1

(The Meadows)

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