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"Custard" in a spectacular Adios Elimination victory

Washington, PA --- Custard The Dragon and driver Montrell Teague came out in the stretch and beat the pacesetter, Powerful Mist (Dave Palone), and won the third Adios Elimination -- in a new world and all-age track record time of 1:48.1.

Eighteen (Corey Callahan) finished third after racing in that position through most of the mile, through fractions of :26.4, :54.4 and 1:21.1.

Custard The Dragon, trained by George Teague, Jr., won for the fifth time in 11 tries this year and pushed his 2006 bankroll to $506,238.

“He got the ideal trip, the trip that I wanted,” Montrell Teague said. “We found the best horse in there and followed. He’s best when he explodes at the end of it. We’ll probably give him an easier week so he can come back fresh next week. I loved the end of it. Seeing that last fraction was amazing.”

Alsace Hanover gave driver Ron Pierce a second Adios Elimination victory in as many tries when they pulled clear in the stretch to win in 1:48.4 in the second division. The time, at that point, equaled Fred And Ginger’s all-age Meadows track record.

The son of The Panderosa, owned by John Fielding and trained by Tony O’Sullivan, won for the fifth time in eight tries this year, and has now won $294,039, lifetime. Wind Me Up (Montrell Teague) finished second and Real Special (Dave Palone) to also advance to the Adios Final.

“That was what he wanted to do, so I just went along with him,” Pierce said. “He relaxed real nice once he reached the front. I never raced him before, but he shows some wicked miles. He acted like he wanted to get going early. Sometimes when you don’t know a horse, you do things his way.”

Rollwithitharry, a 10-1 long shot, raced strongly, first-over to capture Saturday's first elimination. Ron Pierce drove the Jimmy Takter trainee to a 1:50.2 victory -- at 10-1. Rollwithitharry (Rocknroll Hanover--Queen OTRA) scored his fourth win in nine tries this year.

“It was a tough trip, but he’s a tough horse himself,” Pierce said. “In the Meadowlands Pace Consolation he was full of pace but had nowhere to go. So he came into this race good and brave. He felt really good out there. He seemed happy to be racing.”

Also qualifying for the $500,000 (est.) final from the first elimination were Odysseus Bluechip (Brett Miller) and the 25-1 outsider Hugadragon (Matt Kakaley).

The Adios Final will go to post on Saturday afternoon, July 30.