The Meadows: Catch The Fire captures Delvin Miller Adios

Catch The Fire brushed to the lead in the second quarter and was determined and resilent from there, fending off multiple challengers to win the $375,000 Delvin Miller Adios for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers on Saturday afternoon at The Meadows in 1:49 3/5.

Elver Hanover (Chris Page) blasted out from post nine to the early lead, but he would be overtaken by fellow Ron Burke trainee The Greek Freak (Matt Kakaley) passing the 26 3/5 opening quarter. Catch The Fire (Mike Wilder) let the dust settle back in third, then pulled to the outside and took charge as they raced in the frontstretch for the first time. After seizing command, Catch The Fire would get to the half in 54 1/5 with No Lou Zing (Josert Fonseca) beginning a first-over move from fourth.

No Lou Zing hustled up quickly after coming to the outside and had actually had an advantage on the rim in the backstretch at one point. He couldn't clear, though, and Catch The Fire came back on on the inside to trip three-quarters first in 1:21 1/5. No Lou Zing then lost ground on the final turn, allowing Catch The Fire to turn for home on a clear lead, though horses were beginning to fan out behind him.

In the lane Wilder got after Catch The Fire and called on him for everything he had. While Catch The Fire was digging in, the Burke horses were coming two-wide and in the passing lane, No Lou Zing found a better gear, and Chief Mate (Scott Zeron), who had sat on the inside near the back before fanning out widest off the final bend, was flying and had the best momentum of all. Chief Mate ran out of racetrack, though, as the wire came up in time for Catch The Fire to get the decision by a head. No Lou Zing re-rallied for third, and the Burke duo of The Greek Freak and Elver Hanover were fourth and fifth.

"I was really worried about that horse," Wilder said of No Lou Zing. "He went a humongous trip in the elimination. He showed he can take a lot of air. I couldn't shake him, and then a whole herd of them came at me. But my horse dug in. He's true grit."

Wilder, a long-time fixture in the driving colony at The Meadows, hadn't finished better than fourth in an Adios final prior to today, so it was a thrilling and emotional win for him.

"This means the world to me," Wilder said. "The Good Lord is in control of everything in this world, and I was the lucky man today. It means everything for my kids to see it and for my wife to be here. It's something I'll never forget. It's something that may never happen again, although you wish it would.

"I didn't even think about the empty stands. My family's here. My mother's here from Florida. It means the world to me."

John Ackley trains Catch The Fire, a Captaintreacherous colt, for owner CT Stables LLC. This was Catch The Fire's sixth career victory, and he has now earned $466,413. He was the second choice and paid $6.80 to win.

"It's a big win, to have a horse that can compete at this level and win," Ackley said. "No way I could have imagined this; it's fantastic."

Ackley added that Catch The Fire will be getting a week off now as the connections decide whether to point to next.

--quotes courtesy of The Meadows--