Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Adios

Hal Dale-Adioo Volo-Adioo Guy
Bay horse, foaled on January 3, 1940, Died June 22, 1965
p,2, 2:02; 3, 2:01.3; 4, 1:58.1; T1:57.1 ($33,329)

Adios is considered by many harness historians and pedigree experts to be one of the most important and influential pacing sires of modern times. Adios is credited for transforming the Standardbred breed, and for producing some of the most notable sires and dams in the history of the sport. His influence in not only felt in North America, but in Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain.

As well, no one in harness racing can mention Adios and not think of Hall of Famer Delvin Miller in the same moment. The two had a connection after Adios finished his racing career, winning 43 races, and finishing one-two-three in 83 of 87 career outings. Back in those days of multiple heat racing, Adios was the king-setting records over half-mile ovals for one, two and three heats. As a freshman he was the leading money-winning pacer in North America among ALL pacers, not just two-year-olds. He would go on to excel in his later years as well, setting track and world standards at ages four, five and six over all sized ovals.

He earned just $33,329-paultry at best by today's standards, racing from 1942 through 1946 and taking a five-year-old record of 1:57.1. His rivalry with King's Counsel is legendary, and it was their match-ups that gave many harness fans something to think about besides World War II.

It was Miller who purchased Adios for $21,000 from Harry Warner (of Warner Brothers) and L.K. Shapiro. He had watched Adios race again King's Counsel in many of their showdowns and had always admired the pacer, who had been bred and foaled in Carmel, Indiana by owner Leo McNamara. He was sold as a yearling for only $2,000.

Adios became the king of Miller's Meadow Lands Farm in Pennsylvania, where he stood stud for the first time in 1949 for a fee of $300. By 1951 Adios was becoming the hottest sire in the country. His progeny included Adios Harry, p, 4, 1:55 ($345,433), Adios Boy p, 2T1:58.3 ($129,859) and Adios Betty p,2,T1:58.4. In 1955 Hanover Shoe Farms purchased Adios from Miller for $500,000, but later sold back a third of the horse to Miller and another third to Max Hempt. Adios, however, remained at Miller's farm, and soon commanded a stud fee of $15,000. When he passed away on June 22, 1965 his stud fee was the highest in Standardbred history at the time.

When he died, Adios' progeny had earned well over $14 million, much higher than even any thoroughbred during that time. The Breyer model company produced an Adios model in the mid-1960s and in 1971 a book entitled: "Adios: The Big Daddy of Harness Racing" was published.

Undoubtedly Adios will always be best known as the sire of the indomitable Bret Hanover, p, 4, T1:53.3 ($922,616). Other top performers include Bullet Hanover p, 3, T1:55.3 ($132,578), Henry T. Adios p, 1:57 ($706,833), Adios Butler, p, 4,T1:54.3 ($509,875), Dottie's Pick p, 4, T1:56.4 ($263,978), Shadow Wave, p, 3, 1:56.3 ($91,931), and Countess Adios p, 3, 1:57.3 ($317,158) to name just a few.

Adios' total number of foals from 19 years at stud was 597, of which ten died as foals. Why those numbers seem small in comparison with today's stallions, one must keep in mind that Adios was at stud before artificial insemination was the normal practice. His largest foal crop was 51, in 1956. He sired 79 2:00 performers of which 78 were pacers and one was a trotter (Sara Black, 3, 2:00). His get earned over $19.3 million, with 43 $100,000 winners and 11 $225,000 winners.