Meadows: Sunfire Blue Chip wins $450,000 Adios

The tote board for the Adios said the $450,000 final at the Meadows on Saturday was a four-horse race. The fans proved right but failed to tab the proper favorite as second choice Sunfire Blue Chip scored in 1:48 3/5 to capture the Pace for the Orchids.

Longshots had their say in the opening stages with Beach Memories securing the front over Evenin Of Pleasure at the opening quarter in 26 seconds. Sunfire Blue Chip, who had tucked briefly in third, was quickly on the move and made the top before the three eighths rather easily. From there, driver Yannick Gingras set his colt on cruise control.

Sunfire Blue Chip breezed past a relatively soft half of 53 4/5 and began to open up some ground on the field passing three quarters in 1:21 2/5 without so much as feeling any serious pressure. Some Kinda Beach made a failed first over attempt followed by a flat-in-the-stretch Lonewolf Currier and Vegas Vacation.

It was all Sunfire Blue Chip at the head of the stretch. Vegas Vacation paced home strong from a tough spot while very wide on the final turn to get second and Word Power weaved between foes a willing third.

“Once I got to the lead I was very confident,” said Gingras. “On the last turn I would have been shocked if I got beat from there.”

Trainer Jimmy Takter said all week he thought his horse was ready to show more in his second start in three weeks.

“I thought I had a heck of a shot. It is hard to keep them on the top of their game after missing three weeks and I expected him to be better today.”

The victory was the fifth of the year in nine starts for the Christina Takter, John and Jim Fielding, Brixton Medical Ab and RAW Equine Inc owned colt. The $225,000 earned increased his career bankroll to $392,464.

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