The Meadows: "Beach" party round two set for Adios Day

If you miss four weeks of competitive racing in North America, you can lose your spot atop the 3-year-old rankings. Such appears to be the case heading into Saturday's Adios at The Meadows. North America Cup champion Pebble Beach now seems to be fighting for supremacy as Meadowlands Pace winner Beach Glass has gained traction in his absence.

"That horse grew a leg since we beat him in the North America Cup," said Noel Daley, referring to Beach Glass since the June contest.

For Daley there is no lack of confidence in his own horse. Pebble Beach has done nothing wrong since the North America Cup, it's just that he's done most of it behind the scenes.

"He's got a long campaign now and I wanted him to be ready for that," said Daley. "With these horses today, you don't have to train them that hard. I really didn't train any fast miles with him."

Pebble Beach had a rather easy go in his absence from competitive racing but was still fit and able when Daley sent him to victory in one of last week's two Adios eliminations.

"I think he'll be even better this week," Daley said, suggesting that while Beach Glass may have been the more visually impressive in his Adios elimination score, the public may see something different this Saturday afternoon.

On that note, Daley spoke of the most recent accomplishments of Bulldog Hanover, the 4-year-old that flashed through Daley's stable in a 23-day period and set the world ablaze while pacing the fastest mile in the sport's history.

"He was just amazing," said Daley. "That he put four straight races like that together is just unbelievable."

The demand of racing four straight weeks was something that Daley believes could be to his advantage heading into the Adios final. "That other horse [Beach Glass] has raced hard for four straight weeks. He's had to travel back and forth to Ontario as well," Daley said.

On the other end of the spectrum is Pebble Beach, who remains the lone horse returning from a competitive 2-year-old campaign that has not just maintained his top form but exceeded many other expectations. The son of Downbytheseaside raced a long campaign as a juvenile but appears to lack the wear and tear that has wiped out many of his rivals from a year ago.

"I'm not a big fan of racing these 2-year-olds more than seven or eight times," said Daley. "There are exceptions with a horse like this that can do it so easily."

A winner in seven of his 11 starts as a 2-year-old, Pebble Beach's year ended with him bleeding in the Breeders Crown final at the Meadowlands. "We added Lasix," said Daley. "But with him having to race in Kentucky this year he's been on a very low dosage."

With four wins in five starts this year, Pebble Beach has proven that he can race as well on the front-end as from off- the-pace, a trait that Daley is indeed happy with.

"I just didn't want him to be on the front-end as much," said Daley. "Last year in some of those fast miles at The Red Mile he did too much of the work."

This year Pebble Beach has been able to glide to the front and control the action as driver Todd McCarthy pleases. Case in point, last week's elimination where he faced the previously undefeated Bythemissal and was quite capable, stalling the opening half-mile in 56 3/5 and then accelerating when necessary to post a 1:50 1/5 clocking. While the time was more than a second slower than rival Beach Glass, Daley was unconcerned of the difference.

"I still think I have the better horse," said Daley.

While some have called the Adios final a rematch between the one-two finishers in this year's North America Cup, Daley has seen too many races over his career to fall into that trap.

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"I thought Bythemissal was pretty good closing," said Daley. "I'm not sure why they raced him the way they did."

It was a curious choice for Bythemissal to go to the back of the pack in an elimination race with just six horses, but driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke may have had the same mindset as Daley considering that Bythemissal had not raced competitively since an Ohio Sires Stakes victory at Northfield Park on June 11. It was in that Northfield Park 1:50 1/5 scorcher that Bythemissal made a break while hitting three-quarters in 1:21 3/5, yet quickly reset for catch-driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr.

The "Beach" Battle on Saturday afternoon at The Meadows is likely to be the last time these two meet for some time.

"After this we're heading to Kentucky for the next eight weeks," said Daley of his plans for Pebble Beach. "It will probably be a little lighter for him this year than last year. I don't see the same number of horses he faced last year in the picture."

While Pebble Beach has never raced over a half-mile track, Daley has left the door wide open for a possible appearance in the Little Brown Jug scheduled for September 22. "He's got a $400,000 race at The Red Mile on September 18," said Daley. "There's no way we're going to pass that race up just to be in the Jug."

On the other hand, Daley appeared open to the idea of entering Pebble Beach for the Jug, something that is necessary before the Red Mile Kentucky Championship Series final occurs and before he can see how the horse comes out of the race ahead of a possible ship to Delaware.

The Adios is quite definitely shaping up as the race of the year in the 3-year-old division. In Daley's own words, Beach Glass appears to be a much different horse in late July than he was in mid-June.

"Yannick [Gingras] wasn't going to park him in the North America Cup," Daley said, reflecting on the decision that allowed Pebble Beach to gain control and dominate in Canada's richest pacing event. That decision came when Gingras had only driven the colt one previous time and may have been concerned with a negative outcome. Since then, Beach Glass has shown both high speed and the ability to rate on the lead. His 1:49 mile over a rain-soaked Meadows surface last week was quite convincing.

The outstanding question that should get answered on Saturday afternoon when Beach Glass, Pebble Beach and perhaps Bythemissal aggressively contest the mile from start to finish is not necessarily which one is the fastest, but which one is the toughest?

For fans of racing, it doesn't get much better.

FIELD FOR THE $350,000 DELVIN MILLER ADIOS

POST-HORSE-DRIVER-MORNING LINE
1-Atlas Hanover-Aaron Merriman-20-1
2-Ario Hanover-David Miller-8-1
3-Pebble Beach-Todd McCarthy-5-2
4-River Ness-Ronnie Wrenn Jr.-20-1
5-Beach Glass-Yannick Gingras-9-5
6-Fourever Boy-Mike Wilder-7-1
7-Bythemissal-Chris Page-6-1
8-Quick Snap-Dave Palone-15-1
9-Nautical Hanover-Tim Tetrick-20-1