The $20,000 first division of the Roy Davis, named for the Hall of Famer and first local owner to win the Adios, saw freshman pacer Thai Hanover and regular pilot Jeremy Indof assume their normal front-end position following the quarter pole on their way to a comfortable :57.4 opening half.

The action would remain quiet until Yannick Gingras and Melillo would move past the three-quarter pole in what would end up being a three-horse sprint to the wire with Melillo’s :26 final quarter besting Thai Hanover’s :26.3 and McHungry and Mike Wilder’s :26.4 for the show spot. Bred and owned by Burke Racing Stable, Jason Melillo and Weaver Bruscemi, the 1:53 clocking was the first lifetime victory for the son of Sweet Lou.

The $20,217 second division saw another first-over Burke trainee winner, this one more impressive than dramatic. Watch Em Win sat patiently until approaching the final turn, and from there would engage the leader and then expand his lead through the stretch. The He’s Watching colt reeled off a :26.4 final quarter to secure the three-length, 1:52.3 first victory for owners Burke Racing, Knox Services, Phil Collura and Weaver Bruscemi. Watch Em Win was a $35,000 Standardbred Horse Sale purchase for the connections.

When asked about the two winning performances, trainer Burke said, “Both colts trained in the better sets this winter, they do whatever you want, and they were bred for greatness.”

$43,816 Roy Davis — 2-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace

In the first of two divisions, Papi’s Rocket was sent off as the heaviest of favorites, and he repaid the confidence of his backers by taking a new mark of 1:53.2.

First and second in overnight events before closing for third after a shuffle in a PA Sire Stake last week, Papi’s Rocket got away fourth in the seven-horse field, but driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. had the son of Papi Rob Hanover–Real Touch (the dam of World Champion Summer Touch) on the move as second choice Wild Bill Wyatt was in front of the field past the quarter in :27.3, taking over command and getting a breather to a :57 half. No one mounted an outside threat before or after the 1:25.4 three-quarters; the only real test came up the inside from pocket-sitter Wild Bill Wyatt, but Papi’s Rocket held that rival safe by 1-1/4 lengths.

“I thought the horse was much the best,” Wrenn said, “so I just wanted to make that quarter-pole move and make sure he didn’t make a mistake. He’s definitely a sires stake colt. He’s getting better and better every week.”

Ron Burke, who had his usual fine Adios Day (three wins and five seconds, including sweeps of the Adioo Volo and Mary Lib Miller for an unofficial $152,939 earnings reckoning), trains the winner for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc. and Slaughter Racing Stable LLC.

The second Roy Davis division also went to a stickout in the Bettor’s Wish–Heavenly Bride colt Wedlock Blue Chip in 1:52.4. Lou’s Albano (no relation to Adios winner Captain Albano) led at the :27.4 opener, but driver Troy Beyer wanted to control his own fate and moved the youngster to the lead, putting up middle fractions of :56.2 and 1:25.1 before marching home in :27.3 to leave Lou’s Albano three lengths in arrears at the finish.

Wedlock Blue Chip, who had sandwiched overnight victories around a miscue in his brief career, now moves to three-for-four for trainer Roland “Polie” Mallar and the ownership of Richard Cortese and Don Hawk.

$40,696 Roy Davis 2-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace

The splits went to Silken Sweet and Rose Run Zeke.

Silken Sweet hadn’t so much as hit the board in four outings, but he made it look easy for Dave Palone, scoring by 3-1/2 lengths on the front end in an unpressured 1:51.4.  Senditin Jim and Rio completed the ticket.

“This was a case of watching replays from the previous week,” Palone said. “He was loaded last week and never found a way through. He just looked like a big, growthy colt that might just want to stretch his legs out. I figured my only shot was to put him in the hunt and go from there. He was very attentive, and when I asked on him, he was gone.”

Deborah Daguet trains the daughter of  Betting Line-Sweet Body for D Racing Stable Inc. and Donald MacRae.

Rose Run Zeke, meanwhile, stretched his career unbeaten streak to four by downing Solid Character by 2 lengths, with Dream Bird earning show. Hunter Myers piloted the  Stay Hungry-Rose Run Ultimate gelding for owner/trainer Mitchell York.

$60,000 Roy Davis 2-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace

A fair share of good-paying winners found their way to Victory Lane on Adios Day. Before Chris Page paid $18.20 winning The Adios with Bythemissal, there had been four winners exceeding that price, toting drivers named Gingras, Merriman, Wrenn, and Page himself. But it was “favorites only” parading back after each division of the $60,000 Roy Davis, the Arden Downs Stake for 2-year-old pacing males.

Driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim King Jr. and owners Threelyonsracing were the team behind two of the Roy Davis winners. First up was the Stay Hungry-Surfside Sexy colt Lyons Surfing, a $110,000 yearling purchase (his third dam was She’s A Great Lady), who broke his maiden in fine style with a 1:53.2 victory. Lyons Surfing went to the lead in a 27.4 opener, then was content to yield to second choice Crown Of Thorns, who put up middle-race splits of :56.3 and 1:25.4.  But the easy middle half gave no advantage to the pacesetter, as Tetrick moved his charge — fifth and third in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes in his only other two career starts — outside on the turn, went right by the leader, and drew off to win by 7 lengths over Poseidon Deo.

Following the race, King had a bold prediction.

“I think he’s destined to be back here on this date next year (for the Adios),” he said. “I like him a lot; I don’t think he’s come anywhere close to his potential yet, and he doesn’t seem to have any issues. I’ve been pretty kind on him.

“Gotta try for the Adios. I never had me one of those. Gotta bring two next year.”

King’s crystal ball looked even clearer when he and Tetrick/Threelyonsracing came back with the Sweet Lou–Zane Hanover colt Lyons Stealth, as the colt made the top nearing a :28.3 opener, then absolutely shut down the speed, walking to the half in :58.3. Lyons Stealth responded readily when asked for speed after that, going a 28 third quarter (1:26.3) and then zipping home in 27.2 to win in 1:54 and remain perfect in three starts, having won two PA Stallion Series races previously. Pocket sitter Sweet Chilli Heat was 1-3/4 lengths behind the sprinting winner at the finish.

The Lazarus N–Inittowinafortune colt Voukefalas came to The Meadows as the fastest 2-year-old of 2022 after a 1:50 win in a New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship, and he again showed high speed in winning his section in 1:53.2. Jordan Stratton, driving for trainer Michael Russo and owner Michael Pagonas, kept Voukefalas mid-pack through early fractions of 26.3 and 56.3, then gave him his head down the backstretch, with the baby responding to clear to the lead easily before the 1:24.3 three-quarters, then keeping early pacesetter South Point 2-3/4 lengths in the rearview mirror to the line.

$42,070 Arden Downs — 2-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pacers

On a day that The Meadows held a “Dick Stillings Appreciation Pace” for the Hall of Fame horseman, it seemed right to have the Arden Downs stake for next year’s Adios possibles, the 2-year-old pacing colts, renamed the Roy D. Davis Pace after the late veteran owner, who achieved his Hall of Fame Immortal status by campaigning a host of champion horses surnamed “Spur” with Stillings as trainer and frequent driver.

The first division of the Roy Davis saw JM’s Final Treasure installed as the heavy favorite, and Indeed, when he made his move towards the three-quarters after his Ron Burke stablemate Birthday had cut fractions of :27.4, :56.3 and 1:24, he looked like he had a big shot. But track bias was working against him — no horse who had been on the outside entering the final turn had won to that point -— and the streak continued, with Birthday able to hold off JM’s Final Treasure by a head in 1:52. One horse did get by Birthday, pocket sitter All The Chips to the leader’s inside, but just as he grabbed a small margin past mid-stretch, he got rough gaited and lost all momentum, allowing the two Burke horses to beat him to the line.

The victory thus went to the Sweet Lou-Breakheart Pass colt Birthday, who was driven by Ron Wrenn Jr. for trainer Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Birthday lowered his mark by over three seconds with the quick triumph.

“No one really left out of there, and I was able to get decent fractions,” Wrenn said. “He paced home really strong. I thought someone would quarter-move on me, but when no one did, I was able to get a good breather.”

Boardwalk Bet was the favorite in the second stake division, but leaving from the outside post against several determined rivals forced him to take an early tuck, and his uncovered bid suffered the same fate as did all the other outside challengers of the day. (To be fair, he did suffer broken equipment.) Victorious was another son of Sweet Lou (out of Macharoundtheclock), the Tim Twaddle trainee Fourever Boy, who broke his maiden in memorable fashion with a 1:53.2 triumph. All-time leading Meadows (and world) driver Dave Palone got this colt to the front in the :28 first quarter, got a big breather to a :57.2 half, then took off to a 1:24.3 three-quarters and proved uncatchable in winning by 1-1/2 lengths over Good Deal (another Burke trainee). Twaddle co-owns the freshman with the good timing with Micki Rae Stables LLC.

$59,088 Arden Downs — 2-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pacers

Last week, Southwind Gendry scored with a covered trip. In the Gov. David L. Lawrence, as this stake is known, he needed no help, powering to the point at the quarter for Yannick Gingras and winning in a stake record 1:51.2. That knocked a tick from the mark set by Yankee Bounty in 2014.

“He’s a little bit behind the rest of our colts, but as he figures it out, he’ll be a good colt,” said Ron Burke, who trains the Always B Miki-Gambler’s Passion gelding for Burke Racing Stable, Phillip Collura, Knox Services and J&T Silva-Purnel& Libby. “We knew watching his first qualifier that he’s something special.”

Chase H Hanover was second, 1-1/2 lengths back, with Capt Jack Hanover third.

Meanwhile, another Burke youngster, Lou’s Pearlman, continued to look like the real deal, extending his career unbeaten streak to four for Matt Kakaley and owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Elizabeth Novak and Howard Taylor. Captain Sleaze was second, beaten 2-1/4 lengths, while Great Somewhere earned show.

The son of Sweet Lou was so full of himself that Kakaley had him under a snug hold even while sending him on a quarter-pole move to the top.

“He has a lot of high speed; he’s impressive,” Kakaley said. “In my mind he’s one of the best 2-year-olds out there. He’s absolutely perfect to drive.”

Hellabalou stopped badly last week, and his trainer Eddie Dennis, thinks he knows why.

“He struggled getting off the track last week, and the vet thought it was the heat,” Dennis said. “Once we got him cooled down, he was much better. He rebounded really good today.”

The son of Sweet Lou-Magestic Blue Chip looked quite comfortable on the point, defeating Sweet Angel Boy by a neck in 1:53 for Andrew McCarthy. Mikibytheseaside completed the ticket. Eric Good campaigns Hellabalou.

$63,000 Gov. David Lawrence — 2-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pacers

 Tim Tetrick, red-hot on the other side of Pennsylvania recently, had four wins on the Adios card, including two in the Gov. Lawrence, with the faster of his winners being the Somebeachsomewhere–Persistent colt Seeyou At Thebeach, who broke his maiden in 1:52.2. The pattern of this race was much like that of the Sweet Ace event, with the front pack of four well separated from the rest, and Seeyou At Thebeach

moving out behind cover at the three-quarters to go up after undefeated favorite Cattlewash, who got the top after a :27.4 quarter and recorded mid-splits of :56.4 and 1:24.3. Cattlewash carried his advantage almost to the wire, but Tetrick rallied the victorious Brian Brown trainee to get a head decision on the money for Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo, and Chris Page.

 Tetrick’s other victory in the day’s baby colt action was with the undefeated Adriano Hanover, who at 1-9 made a quarter-move to command and was never in doubt, winning by 2-¾ lengths in 1:53.1, missing his mark by a tick. The son of Western Hanover-A And G’sconfusion added a Grand Circuit triumph to his prior PASS win for trainer Jim King Jr. and owners Jo Ann Looney-King and Joseph Palermo III. 

“At times, his potential seems unlimited,” Jim King said. “So far, he’s done everything asked of him — and with a lot of determination. When he gets in with his own kind and they put up a fight, we’ll see how he does than.” 

The third division of the Gov. Lawrence went to the Captaintreacherous– Charisma Hanover colt Hey Run Me Over, who brushed to the backstretch lead and went on to be 3 lengths clear at the finish in 1:52.4 to take a new speed badge. Andrew McCarthy had the sulky assignment for trainer Rollie Mallar, who is also co-owner with Linwood Higgins and Patrick Leavitt.