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Cat Manzi Approaches Milestone

June 16, 2008

Hall of Fame driver Catello Manzi entered Monday needing 19 wins to reach 13,000 for his career. Manzi, a native of Monticello, New York, who now lives in Freehold, New Jersey, ranks No. 2 on harness racing’s all-time victory list. He trails only Herve Filion, with 15,174 wins.

“I’ve been at it a long time,” Manzi said. “To me, (Filion’s mark) is still a long way off. It’s going to be hard to do, but it’s not out of the question. Really, I think guys like Tony Morgan or Dave Palone will overtake me before I get that far; they’re very active and very successful. If (reaching Filion) was to happen, it will happen. I win as many as I can. I just keep going out there and once in a while something good happens.”

Manzi, who was the sport’s Driver of the Year in 2005 when he set career highs with 727 wins and $8.6 million in purse earnings, will celebrate his 58th birthday on June 27. Entering Monday, Manzi had 237 victories, good for eighth place in North America, and $2.9 million in purses for 2008.

Last weekend, Manzi was honored for winning his 20th driving title at Freehold Raceway. He led the winter-spring meet with 293 victories; Patrick Berry was second at 236.

“I’ve seen kids come back every year and grow up into adults,” Manzi said about his time at Freehold. “A lot of them are still coming back.”