Wish You Well headlines $300,000 Carl Milstein Memorial at MGM Northfield Park

Wish You Well, the runner-up in the Delvin Miller Adios at The Meadows, has been installed as the 5-2 favorite and leads a competitive field in Saturday’s (Aug. 10) $300,000 Carl Milstein Memorial at MGM Northfield Park.

The Carl Milstein Memorial, an invitational for 3-year-old pacers, is always one of the staples on the stakes calendar each year.

“The year’s Milstein is a wide-open race, with horses from all over North America. The $300,000 event, in addition to the power-packed undercard, will make for a great night of racing,” said Director of Racing Dave Bianconi.

After a slow start to his sophomore campaign, Wish You Well entered the $350,000 Adios final off a victory at Harrah’s Philadelphia, and a dominant 1:49.1 score in his $25,000 Adios elimination.

In the final, the son of Bettor’s Wish had a big late kick, but ran out of racetrack, missing by a neck to Captain Albano in 1:49.2.

Wish You Well is owned by Kovach Stables and is trained by Nifty Norman.

“He has had an easy week at The Meadows, we are thrilled with the post draw,” said Norman. “He trains on a half, and raced in the Messenger earlier this year, he doesn’t mind it at all.”

Lightly raced at two, Indiana standout Sabonis will take on Grand Circuit company for the first time in Saturday’s Carl Milstein Memorial. The 3-year-old by Tellitlikeitis enters on a seven-race win streak, and sports ten victories in 11 starts this year for owner Pat Miller and trainer Aaron Stutzman.

“He matured a lot from his 2- to 3-year-old season; last year wasn’t his year, he was a little immature,” said Stutzman. “He has surprised all of us with how good he has been this year. The races he has been in at Hoosier have been tough.”

The talented colt started the year with a powerful 5-3/4 length victory in a non-winners of two final at Harrah’s Hoosier Park before tasting defeat for the first time. He returned to win another late closer, and no one has been close to him in Indiana Sire Stakes company. It will be the first time Sabonis will race away from Harrah’s Hoosier Park, something his connections aren’t worried about.

“I guess we will find out how good he will be on a half. He trains on a half and I don’t expect any surprises,” said Stutzman.

Also competing in Saturday’s Grand Circuit event is Stable.ca standout Timeisonmyside, Ohio-sired Rose Run Zane, Ohio State Fair runner-up Janelle Granny, Ontario Sires Stakes standout Storm Shadow, MGM Messenger winner Sweet Beach Life, Ohio-sired Paris’s Dragon, and Indiana sired Noblesville.

Saturday’s Carl Milstein Memorial program will get underway at 6 p.m. and features a $25,000 guaranteed $1 Pick-4 beginning in race eight, with a $10,000 guaranteed $1 Pick-4 beginning in race 11, and a $10,000 guaranteed 20-cent Super Hi-5 in race 13.