The Meadows: Field set for Delvin Miller Adios following three eliminations

Captain Victorious, Prince Of Tides, and Southwind Ozzi - all favorites - won the trio of $25,000 Delvin Miller Adios eliminations for 3-year-old male pacers that occurred on Saturday afternoon at The Meadows.

The complexion of the first elimination certainly changed with the scratch of pre-race favorite Workin Ona Mystery, but Captain Victorious (Yannick Gingras) took advantage, winning in 1:50 4/5. He allowed Wild Wild Western (Mike Wilder) to clear passing the 26 1/5 opening quarter, re-moved to the front on the way to the 55 2/5 half, rebuffed a first-over bid of Odds On Boca Raton (Dexter Dunn) to the 1:23 4/5 three-quarters, and held sway through the lane to win by a length over a rallying Branquinho (Tyler Buter). Wild Wild Western wound up third.

“I had to keep him to his task in the stretch,” Gingras said. “He definitely is a lazy horse, and he goes what you ask him to go. If you really get after him, he’ll take off in another gear, but we didn’t need to do that.”

Captain Victorious is a Captaintreacherous colt trained by Ron Burke for owner The Captain V Stable. This was Captain Victorious's fifth career victory, and he has now earned $252,771. He was sent off at even-money and paid $4.00 to win.

In the middle elimination Marco Beach (Matt Kakaley) grabbed the front from Prince Of Tides (Dave Palone) at the 26 1/5 first quarter, but Prince Of Tides went around the 40-1 shot as they raced in the stretch for the first time and took command. Prince Of Tides would reach the half in 54 3/5 and the three-quarters in 1:21 3/5, and kicked away impressively in the final quarter, winning by 6 3/4 lengths in 1:49 4/5. Reigning Deo (Andrew McCarthy) was up for second, followed by Quatrain Blue Chip (David Miller).

“He’s a versatile horse, but I’d rather be against the cones in the last turn,” Palone said. “He’s a big horse. I had to go to a bigger bike on him to make sure he didn’t hit it. But he’s beautiful to drive.”

Prince Of Tides, a Somebeachsomewhere gelding, is owned by breeder Let It Ride Stables Inc. in partnership with Dana Parham and Howard Taylor. Prince Of Tides, who is out of $1.8 million earner Tug River Princess, now has a record of 8-2-2 from 14 efforts and has banked $115,170. Dispatched at 4-5, he returned $3.80 to win.

Southwind Ozzi (Brian Sears) started from the outside post nine in the last elimination but was able to overcome it, prevailing in 1:49 3/5. He got a seat in fifth on the way to the 25 4/5 opening quarter that was set by Escapetothebeach (Tim Tetrick), then joined a two-wide flow second-over behind a first-up Semi Tough (Matt Kakaley) going to the 55 second half-mile marker.

Semi Tough dueled with Stag Party (Dunn), who had taken the lead in the second quarter, to the 1:21 4/5 three-quarters, and although Southwind Ozzi gapped the cover on the backstretch, he caught up on the final turn and went three-wide. After fanning out, Southwind Ozzi had a solid kick left in him as he came on to win by a half-length over Escapetothebeach, with Stag Party third.

“I was tickled to death when he dropped in because I knew he would get a good trip from there,” said Bruce Baker, second trainer for winning conditioner William MacKenzie. “First-over doesn’t bother him; he likes it. He’s an amazing horse. He’s got speed, he can leave, he can come home.”

The victorious ridgling by Somebeachsomewhere is trained by MacKenzie for owners Vincent Ali Jr. and Alma Iafelice. Southwind Ozzi made his fifth appearance in the winner's circle, and he has now put away $126,249. A 6-5 offering, he paid $4.60 to win.

--quotes courtesy of The Meadows--