Pebble Beach, Beach Glass take rivalry to Saturday's Adios Pace for the Orchids final

Pebble Beach and Beach Glass have developed quite a rivalry in the 3-year-old colt pacing division this year.

They last raced in the same field in June at the North American Cup, and Pebble Beach prevailed that day.

Beach Glass claimed victory at the Meadowlands Pace on July 16, but Pebble Beach didn’t run that day.

Both won their elimination heats last week at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows and are favorites when they meet again as part of the $350,000 final of the 56th Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids.

Those connected to both Pebble Beach and Beach glass selected the post positions for Saturday’s final. Pebble Beach won a draw for the right to choose first and will start from the No. 3 post position. The Beach Glass representative selected the No. 5 position.

The seven other positions were determined by a random draw.

The No. 5 position proved successful last year as Hellabalou, driven by hall of famer Tim Tetrick and trained by Eddie Dennis, was victorious in a time of 1 minute, 48.4 seconds, winning by 1 1/4 lengths.

Tetrick and Dennis each claimed their first Adios title.

The Adios final is part of a big card of 16 races. Six are Grand Circuit stakes, including the Quinton Patterson Adioo Volo for 3-year-old filly pacers, which will pay out $102,355.

The first post is set for 11:45 a.m. and the Adios final is race No. 15 at about 5 p.m.

Beach Glass and Pebble Beach both cruised to their elimination victories by 5 3/4 lengths.

The top four finishers in each elimination heat punched their tickets to Saturday’s final.

Joining Beach Glass in earning automatic berths to the finals from last week’s first elimination were Fourever Boy (No. 6 post), Nautical Hanover (No. 9) and Ario Hanover (No. 2).

Other automatic berths from the second elimination were Atlas Hanover (No. 1), Quick Snap (No. 8), and Bythemissal (No. 7).

River Ness, who will race out of the No. 4 post position, earned the wild-card spot in the final as he was the fifth-place finisher who had accumulated the higher career earnings to that point.

Trainer Tony Alagna leads the way with a trio of entries — Atlas Hanover, Quick Snap and Nautical Hanover — set to race on Sauturday.

Both of Ron Burke’s trained horses — Bythemissal and River Ness — made it to the final.

Alagna trained 2016 Orchids winner Racing Hill and 2017 runner-up American History.

His three entries this year bring to eight his total from the last three years combined.

$350,000 Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids

Saturday

Hollywood Casino, The Meadows

Field listed, from left: Post postion, drivers (subject to change), trainers and morning line odds

1. Atlas Hanover, Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna, 20-1

2. Ario Hanover, David Miller, Brian Brown, 8-1

3. Pebble Beach, Todd McCarthy, Noel Daley, 5-2

4. River Ness, Ronnie Wrenn, Jr., Ron Burke, 20-1

5. Beach Glass, Yannick Gingras, Brent MacGrath, 9-5

6. Fourever Boy, Mike Wilder, Tim Twaddle, 7-1

7. Bythemissal, Chris Page, Burke, 6-1

8. Quick Snap, Dave Palone, Alagna, 15-1

9. Nautical Hanover, Todd McCarthy, Alagna, 20-1