Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Cutler & Gradute Finals Results

The Meadowlands Saturday, May 21, 2005

Fifth Race -- $180,000 Cutler Final Results
Hd# PP Horse Driver______________
4 3 Mr Muscleman Ron Pierce
1A 10 Sand Vic Brian Sears
7 7 Hellava Hush Cat Manzi
5 4 Elegant Man Brian Sears
3 2 Hurri Kane Billy G Yannick Gingras
6 5 ENS Snapshot Mike Lachance
2 1 Al Dente Hanover John Campbell
1 6 HP Paque Trond Smedshammer
9 9 Hunt M Down Eric Ledford
8 8 Hez Striking David Miller
Times: :28, :56.3, 1:25.4, 1:54.3

The Skinny: Mr Muscleman captured the $180,000 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial, trotting the mile in 1:54.3 on a track surfaced turned sloppy by heavy rain showers. Mr Muscleman, driven by Ron Pierce and trained by Noel Daley, got up in the final strides to score a neck victory over Sand Vic (Brian Sears), while Hellava Hush (Cat Manzi) nailed third.

"The track was so muddy that I got way back and couldn't see anything," Pierce said. "I couldn't even tell how many horses were in front of me. But I knew I had the horse. It was just a matter of when to go. He trotted beautifully."

"He was super tonight," trainer Noel Daley noted. "He got farther back than we thought. But he came home real good. He just wants to win."

Mr Muscleman, a five-year-old gelded son of Muscles Yankee, topped the $2 million mark in career earnings with his victory in the Cutler. It was his fourth win in five starts this year and 24th in 47 career starts.

Seventh Race -- $225,000 Graduate Final Results
Hd# PP Horse Driver_________
2 1 Life Source George Brennan
3 2 Boulder Creek Brian Sears
1 7 Metropolitan David Miller
1A 10 Driven To Win Michael Lachance
8 8 Casimir Camotion Patrick Lachance
4 3 Holborn Hanover Jim Morrill Jr.
5 4 Articulator Ron Pierce
7 6 Mypanmar John Campbell
9 9 Town Champion Eric Ledford
6 5 Mini Me Yannick Gingras
Times: :26.4, :54.2, 1:22.2, 1:50.4

The Skinny: Life Source dug in to win the $225,000 Graduate Final, the seventh race on Saturday night at the Meadowlands. Boulder Creek (Brian Sears) challenged on the outside, and Metropolitanhandled (David Miller) found room on the pylons, but neither could not catch the eighth-year-old who paced the mile in 1:50.4 on a track rated good.

Life Source, who finished last in the 2004 Graduate, now has 40 wins in 166 career starts and lifetime earnings of more than $1.8 million. This year the pacer has six wins, three seconds and three thirds from 16 starts. The winner's share of $112,500 pushed his 2005 earnings to $328,325.

"The rail is a great place to be," said George Brennan, the driver of Life Source. "The horse has great speed. There was only one other leaving so I thought I'd take a shot at the front. I don't put him o the front often, but when I do, he responds well. There was big money on the line so I took a chance. He didn't let us down."

"He raced unbelievably," said Richard J. Banca, who trains the horse for his father, Richard T. Banca of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. "He's just a tough, tough horse. He's going to Canada for the Classic and the Canadian Pacing Derby and then he'll be back here."