ADIOS SAYS HELLO TO 27 COLTS

A record 27 three-year-old pacing colts & geldings have entered in the 38th edition of the Coors Delvin Miller Adios, to be contested at The Meadows on Saturday, August 14. The Adios, worth a record-tying $500,500, is held during the day with a 12:40 p.m post time. There are three eliminations, with the top three from each advancing to the final. The 27 entered in the "Pace for the Orchids" is a record, up from the previous high 24 entrants in 2002. The total purse, at $500,500 for the 2004 edition, surpasses the half million paid out in 1998 and 2002.

This year's Adios returns to the original conditions of the race, with finalists earning post positions. Elim winners draw for posts one-three, second-place finishers for posts four-six and third-place finishers get post seven, eight or nine. The purse split also has changed, with money decreased in the eliminations and boosted in the final.

All three winners of last Saturday's Oliver Wendell Holmes at the Meadowlands are in the Adios, including local standout Georgia Pacific, who posted a lifetime best 1:49.1 in the fastest Holmes division on Hambletonian Day, August 7. Georgia Pacific is the morning line favorite in the first of the three Adios elims at odds of 2-1, in spite of drawing post seven. "That was the fastest race of the day at the Meadowlands," said trainer/co-owner Randy Bendis of the Western Hanover gelding. "I knew he was good going in, but it was cool and windy. I didn't know he was going to take a half on the lead into the wind like that. He's tough, and he can do whatever you want, however you want," he said. "He does like the lead when he can get it. We're in a tough spot here."

Post positions and drivers, from the rail out are: First Elim Race 9: You Rock, Brian Zendt 12-1, Mypanmar, Luc Ouellette 3-1, Marchand, Dave Palone 4-1, Driven To Win, David Miller 6-1,Western Terror, Ron Pierce 12-1, Jacob's Western, Mike Wilder 20-1, Georgia Pacific, Brian Sears 2-1, Peyote, Dave Palone 10-1, Hawaiian Fury, Richard Stillings 20-1.

Second Elim Race 10: Sand Sax, Dave Palone 6-1, Spirit of a Shark, George Brennan 3-1, Esty Hanover, Dan Ross 15-1, Geartogea, Ron Pierce 5-2, Basil Hanover, Mike Wilder 12-1, Art Director, John Campbell 12-1, Pansonance, Brett Miller 6-1, Jersey Mate, Luc Ouellette 15-1, Mantacular, Cat Manzi 5-1.

Third Elim Race 11 Timesareachanging, Ron Pierce 5-2, Harry Hornet, David Miller 15-1, The Preacher Pan, Luc Ouellette 12-1,Mauro Hanover, Brian Sears 15-1, Camelot Hall, George Brennan 5-1, Santastic's Pan, Mike Wilder 6-1, Metropolitan John Campbell 3-1, Modern Art Dave Palone 6-1, Maltese Artist Dave Palone 12-1.

PINK RIBBONS RACING FOR VICTORY

Nancy Greenfield, of Perrysburg, Ohio and her friend June White, of Monroe, Michigan, will have no trouble picking out their two-year-old trotting filly, Pink Ribbons, in a division of the $14,124 Arden Downs Stake at The Meadows on August 10. Bedecked with pink ribbons in her mane and a pink harness by her caretaker, Andrea Miller, the filly wears the color to reflect her name, the symbol for breast cancer awareness.

The daughter of Ohio Sires Stakes champion DJ Babe and sire Mr. Vic, Pink Ribbons was purchased in 2002 by Greenfield's husband Kevin when she was an unnamed foal at her mother's side. The mare and foal were purchased from Jim Arledge, who had trained DJ Babe, with the agreement that Arledge would also train her daughter and first foal.

By the end of 2002, both Nancy Greenfield and June White were fighting breast cancer and trying to get through each day. "I've had four surgeries and one more to go, plus chemotherapy," recalls Mrs. Greenfield. "I had been at a new job [she is a nurse in a surgical center] for only a year when I was diagnosed and I needed a lot of time off. I had to go back to work while I was doing chemo, once a week for twelve weeks. It took me a long time to recuperate...I am still not myself, not able to do the work I used to do, to work all day long. I was a workaholic," she notes.

The Greenfields and Whites have been friends for over ten years, linked by Mike White and Kevin Greenfield's involvement in harness racing. White is general manager of Raceway Park in Toledo and Greenfield owns Hickory Lane Farm in Findlay, Ohio. It was Kevin Greenfield's idea to give the filly to their wives. "Mike and I were just talking and wondering what could we do to help take our wives while they were going through this ordeal," says Greenfield. We got the idea to give them this filly and designate part of their earnings to a breast cancer charity."

Both women look forward to Pink Ribbons' career and generating donations for the Victory Center in Toledo, where Greenfield was a client. The center, which charges no fees and relies strictly on donations, provides support groups, education, reflexology and massage to people in treatment for cancer of any kind. "They ere so supportive," said Greenfield. "The massage helps with the lymphadema and reflexology with nausea. They were just very kind and caring complete strangers that helped you get through this phase of your life. The Victory Center popped up as an idea [to designate a share of Pink Ribbons' earnings] because they rely on donations only, it's such a small center."

So far, the Victory Center has received $877 from Pink Ribbons' lone start, a win worth $8,775 in the Tompkins-Geers Stake at Scioto Downs, her home base. "When you're going through chemo," says Nancy Greenfield, "you find other people doing things for you and this is a way we can give back to help others with what we went through."

HAMBO LEARNING LAB FOR JOURNALISM STUDENTS

The 79th Hambletonian served as a classroom for 11 college students, who participated in the second annual Hirt Memorial College Journalism Workshop. The workshop educates and introduces future sportswriters, editors and producers to harness racing at its highest level.
Speakers included Debbie Little, New York Post racing writer; Neal Baker, NBA-TV producer; Rich Fisher, Princeton ([NJ] Packet sports editor; Mark Hall, U.S. Trotting Association and Associated Press photographer; Tom Cosentino, sports publicist, Dan Graziano, Yankees beat writer for the Newark Star-Ledger; Gary Seibel and Caton Bredar, CBS sports commentators, Steve Nagler and Chris Svendsen, CBS Sports producer/directors, and Mark Moffa, Princeton Packet managing editor.

Students toured Giants Stadium, Continental Airlines Arena and the CBS production truck. More than half wrote by-line stories for daily newspapers in their hometowns, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Lousiville Courier-Journal, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Syracuse Post Standard, Truro [Nova Scotia] Daily News and Lexington Herald-Leader or took photos that appeared on trade web sites. Others assisted with the CBS national telecast and worked in public relations on Hambletonian day, putting skills learned in the classroom to use.
The workshop was sponsored by the U.S. Harness Writers Association, (national and New York City Chapters), the US Trotting Association, Harness Horse Youth Foundation and the Meadowlands Racetrack. For information on the 2005 workshop, contact Anne Doolin at dabighorse2@aol.com or Ken Weingartner at hrcnews1@ustrotting.com.

UPCOMING RACES:

August 14 Adios elims & final 3yo open pace $500,500 The Meadows

August 15 Zweig Memorial divisions 3yo open trot $250,000 Syracuse Fairgrounds