Adios: Bolt The Duer wins in a world record of 1:47 4/5

In the stacked 3-year-old pacing division, trip seems to decide the outcome of each prestigious race. The $500,000 Adios final at The Meadows on Saturday resulted in a similar scenario. Bolt The Duer was given the perfect journey by driver Mark MacDonald and was hustled home to a world record 1:47 4/5 victory.

A Rocknroll Dance gunned off the gate to engage Bolt The Duer early and paid the price with a sizzling :25 1/5 first fraction. Driver Yannick Gingras continued the quick clip with a :52 4/5 half mile time before the favored Sweet Lou came to call on the rim.

A Rocknroll Dance and Sweet Lou hooked up to the tune of a crazy-fast 1:19 2/5 three quarter clocking, with Bolt The Duer sitting cozy in the pocket and Thinking Out Loud appearing a menacing third-over.  

At the head of the lane, A Rocknroll Dance shook off Sweet Lou but could not withstand the fresh threat from Bolt The Duer up the inside. It was a driving 1 ½ length win over the once again game A Rocknroll Dance and longshot Breakin The Law.

The 1:47 4/5 final time produced a world record clocking on a five-eighths sized track.

It was a redemption moment for Bolt The Duer and MacDonald, who had finished second in the Art Rooney at Yonkers and Hempt Final at Pocono, and was dead last (10th) in the Meadowlands Pace.

“I still had a bit of pain in my stomach from the Meadowlands Pace,” said MacDonald referring to his tactics of not showing early speed. “I wasn’t going to let that happen again.”

The Adios win pushed Bolt The Duer’s career earnings to $649,901 for owner All Star Racing Inc. and trainer Peter Foley.

The son of Ponder will now get a few weeks off before facing some lighter competition on the Kentucky Sire Stakes circuit. He will then continue on to the Little Brown Jug in Ohio.