Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Harness Happenings
For June 21, 2004
By Kimberly Rinker

The 2004 North America Cup-A Complete Review
Take a good look at harness driver Cat Manzi. When he crossed the wire first in the North America Cup, it was 35 years since his first driving win, and his first win in any million dollar race in his 30th attempt. Cat was also the oldest driver in the field, only eight days short of 54.
Incredibly, Cat, upon hitting the wire first, moved into the #1 spot in North America for drivers in both wins AND earnings. Who's the OLDEST to ever lead at the end of the year in wins? Herve Filion, at age 50 in 1990. The OLDEST to ever lead in earnings at the end of the year? It's a three-way finish between Del Miller at age 47 in 1960, Mike Lachance at 47 in 1997, and John Campbell at 47 in 2002.

Cat has knocked on the million dollar door before. He was second with David Raymond in 1998 in the Hambletonian behind Muscles Yankee; second with Driven By Design in the 1992 Meadowlands Pace (Ironically, it was the sire of Mantacular who was impeded in that race and wound up 7th-Western Hanover);  third with Riyadh as the pacesetter in the 1993 Meadowlands Pace to Presidential Ball and Life Sign; and second, a scant nose, in the 1983 Wilson to Carls Bird with Trutone Lobell.

Prior to the 2004 Cup, Cat's biggest win came via a DQ in the 2000 Woodrow Wilson with Whitefish Falls for $703,000.

No driver has won his first million dollar race after 68,800 drives. Cat Manzi ranks second on the all-time list of drives behind only Herve Filion who is nearing 81,000.

No driver in history--EXCEPT for Cat Manzi--drove 30,000 times in a single decade. Cat did it in the 1990s.

No driver in history has driven a trotting mare in under 1:52. Cat did it on July 8, 1994 with Beat The Wheel in 1:51.4. In case you think it was some kind of fluke, you might remember that Pine Chip was runnerup.

He's the ONLY driver in Meadowlands history to win with TWO $100 horses on the SAME night. He did it in 1992 with Fake Left and Hundred Kisses (7/31/92).

He is the LEADING driver in the history of both the NJSS and New Jersey. No one has won more races in the Garden State than the 'Catman'--over 8,500. (Garden State Park, Freehold, Meadowlands, fair circuit).

He drove the one and only Artsplace one and only one time, and guess what? He posted a 1:49.2 world race record on him 6/20/92. That was the very first time that any horse had lowered Nihilator's 1:49.3 race record (8/3/85).

He drove the 2001 Horse Of The Year Bunny Lake one time (July 2002), and put HER lifetime mark on also-1:49.4.

Some of the other standout performers who benefitted from the expertise of the Catman were Winkys Goal, Santa Royal, Wesgate Crown, Tiffany Star, Broadway Blue, Pacific Fella, Rusty Abbot, Caramore, Rodine Hanover, Nuclear Siren, Harmonious, Hit Parade, Bullville Victory, Direct Current and Trutone Lobell.

The Similarities Between Mantacular and Georgia Pacific
Both sired by Western Hanover
Mantacular 9 for 20 lifetime, Georgia Pacific 10-22
Both trained by non 'big-time' trainers: Mantacular with trainer Larry Rathbone and Randy       Bendis handles Georgia Pacific.
Both trainers and drivers in the Cup were looking for their first million dollar win
Both followed the same path to the N A Cup--Berrys Creek, Provincial Cup, Burlington

Some North America Cup By The Numbers:
0-# of drives this year in the final for the top two drivers in Canada the past five years in the N A CUP final-Randy Waples and Chris Christoforou, Jr.

1-# of wins in the NA Cup for Cat Manzi, Larry Rathbone, Tim Pinske and Dean Magee-the connections for each of the past two years.

2-Presidential Ball and Gothic Dream remain the only TWO horses to win both the Metro and the NA Cup. (Camelot Hall-2003 Metro winner, this year:10th)

3-THREE drives in million dollar events for Sears-three times the favorite or part of the favored entry-Whatanartist (50 cents-2003 Meadowlands Pace), Muscle King (60 cents-Hambo) and 6/5 choice this year-5th place finisher Georgia Pacific.

4-FOUR. The top 4 finishing drivers in the 2004 NA CUP were members of the $80 million club-Cat Manzi-John Campbell-Luc Ouellette and Ron Pierce. Steve Condren was the only other driver in the race past $80 million-Rapid Dialing-and he was 6th.

5-YEARS since Brett Pelling won the NA Cup.(6th with Rapid Dialing).
Also, 5-spots: the TOP five get money, and Western Hanover was responsible for all five. He sired the 1st, 4th and 5th place finishers-Mantacular, Western Terror and Georgia Pacific, and his son, The Panderosa, the second and third place finishers from his very first crop-Metropolitan and Panspacificflight. Western Hanover himself was upset in the 1992 final by Safely Kept-THAT upset cost him a $3 million career- he finished $2.8 million.

6-Sires in this years field-3 fathers and 3 sons one day before Fathers Day. Jate Lobell-Village Jasper, Western Hanover-The Panderosa and Cambest-Blissfull Hall.

7-Meadowlands Pace wins and 6 NA Cups for John Campbell. It was OOOH SO Close to being 7 & 7. Seven is also the number of starts it took Mantacular to get his first win of 2004.

8-DAYS shy of his 54th birthday for the Catman who hit the wire first with Mantacular.

9-NINE of the ten Breeders Crown finalists from 2003 were NOT in this years NA Cup. Only Rapid Dialing-last in the Breeders Crown (6th here) was in both.

11-ELEVEN of the 21 NA Cup winners also won their elim. (Mantacular third-drew in by lot).

13-YEARS since Cat Manzi last appeared in the NA Cup.

14-YEARS since Richard Silverman last won a million dollar race; the 1990 Woodrow Wilson with Die Laughing.

14 YEARS since ANY WEG regular was the winning driver in the NA Cup: Bud Fritz in 1990 with Apaches Fame.

15 YEARS since Steve Condren upset the apple cart in 1989 in the NA Cup with a 45-1 shot named Goalie Jeff, who would parlay that win into a 3 Year Old division title- winning season.

How 'bout the night Chris Ryder had? He very nearly took home the NA Cup when his colt Metropolitan slipped through with late clearance. He DID win the $601,300 Elegant Image by open lengths with Mystical Sunshine. Over $700,000 in winning purse money for the transplanted New Zealander. Brett Pelling made $1.1 million on 8/10/96 and holds the distinction for down under one day training dollar high amounts.

Mantacular got a 'head' up on the competition so to speak. In the first dozen years of million dollar races, half a dozen won by the same margin:
1981 Meadowlands Pace, Head by Hilarion (Campbells FIRST of TWENTY Million $ wins)
1985 Woodrow Wilson, Head by Grade One (Ray Remmens' BIGGEST win-$1,344,000)
1988 Woodrow Wilson, Head by Kassa Branca (Campbell again)
1989 North America Cup, Head by Goalie Jeff (Steve Condrens' Lone $ Million Win)
1990 North America Cup, Hea by Apaches Fame (Last WEG regular to win this-Bud Fritz)
1992 Hambletonian, Head by Alf Palema (Mickey McNichol-8 years from his first Million dollar win-1984 Peter Haughton Memorial with Another Miracle)

$55.10 was the win price if you had the courage or conviction to back Mantacular. But this isn't even close to the record in million dollar races:
$141.80 Land Grant 1980 Wilson
$100.40 Grade One 1985 Wilson
$93.60 Goalie Jeff 1989 North Ameria Cup
$69.40 Carls Bird 1983 Wilson
$63.70 Safely Kept 1992 North America Cup
$57.00 Another Miracle 1984 Peter Haughton Memorial

Camelot Hall found the post (10), the traffic, the congestion and whatever else too much to overcome. He wound up last. The 2003 Metro winner now joins an elite group of horses who have finished BOTH first AND last in a million dollar race.
Land Grant in 1980 was the Wilson winner and finished last in the 1981 Meadowlands Pace.
Beach Towel won the 1990 Meadowlands Pace and was last in the 1990 North America Cup.
Die Laughing was a 1990 Wilson winner and then finished last in the 1991Meadowlands Pace.
Barberry Spur won the 1985 Governors Cup and was then last in the 1985 Woodrow Wilson.

Camelot Hall joins some other fancy company, as some VERY nice horses have brought up the year in a million dollar race, including Icarus Lobell (twice), Pershing Square, Waikiki Beach (sire of Varenne), Cameleon, Beach Towel, Nuclear Design, Gum Ball, Act Of Grace and Yankee Glide.   (thanks to the Meadowland's Bob "Hollywood" Heyden for much of this infomation)

Taser Gun Does It Again
The ageless pacing wonder, Taser Gun, won for the second straight time and for the seventh time this season in eight tries this past Saturday night (June 19) at Balmoral Park. The indefatigable gelding paced to a winning mile of 1:50, scoring by over four lengths for driver Andy Miller, trainer Bob Walker and the Cunningham Stable of Medora, Illinois. The victory came in the $25,000 Rambling Willie Stake which saw the nine-year-old Taser Gun best seven rivals in a come-from-behind effort after pulling first over at the three-quarter pole. The win pushed Taser Gun's seasonal earnings to $84,032 and his lifetime bankroll to $982,412, bringing him closer to the one million dollar plateau.

Schilling Gets Major League Harness Victory
Major league pitcher Curt Schilling scored his first victory as a harness racing owner. The winnern of 171 games claimed Thunder Storm N one week ago at Balmoral for $45,000, and rewarded the 37-year-old Boston Red Sox hurler in Friday night’s sixth race. The win came in the 9-year-old New Zealand bred pacer’s first start for Schilling, as Thunder Storm captured the $13,100 conditioned pace at Maywood Park by only a nose in 1:53.1 for driver Pat Berry.

Schilling claimed the pacer on the advice of his new trainer John Podres, Jr., son of former Brooklyn Dodger pitching great John Sr., who was Schilling’s pitching coach when Curt was with the Philadelphia Phillies.

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