Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Catman Set to Pounce On Another Milestone

October 15, 2006

Photo by Michael Lisa - Lisa Photo, Inc. (CLICK TO VIEW)

     Cat Manzi                   Cat wins the 2006 Meadowlands Pace
                                                    with Artistic Fella.

Catello "Cat" Manzi is at the point in his career when it would reasonable to expect the Hall of Fame driver to slow down. Nothing, though, could be further from the truth.

Manzi, 56, is in the midst of a three-year run that is the best of his career and entered Monday needing 18 victories to join Herve Filion as the only drivers to reach the 12,000-win level. Filion is the all-time leader among North American drivers, with 15,161 wins.

"It feels good; it came along quicker than I expected," Manzi said Monday morning from the paddock at Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack in Pennsylvania. "I knew it would come up at some point as long as I kept going, and I’ve been having another good year. I think my driving can only get better; I feel like I’ve reached a new level."

Manzi entered Monday with 538 wins this year, good for third best in North America, and his $6.6 million in purse earnings ranked ninth.

Manzi, who is known to his fans as "Catman," won a career-best 727 races last season and was named Driver of the Year by both Harness Tracks of America and the U.S. Harness Writers Association. Since the start of 2004, he has 1,915 victories, which tops his best three-year span of 1,876 wins from 1989-91. He has won at least 400 races every year since 1999, when he was sidelined by racing-related injuries.

"It’s just an unusual case," said Manzi, who last year became the oldest driver to ever lead North America in wins. "My attitude changed a lot when I got hurt; it affected my whole life. I’m more relaxed, and I’m more focused."

Manzi started his career at his hometown Monticello Raceway in upstate New York, where he won numerous driving titles. He also has collected honors at Freehold, Liberty Bell and Garden State Park in addition to being one of the top drivers at the Meadowlands. Earlier this season, he won the $1 million Meadowlands Pace with Artistic Fella.

In 2002, Manzi was enshrined in the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York, not far from his original stomping grounds. He plans to continue racing for the foreseeable future.

"I don’t see stopping soon," Manzi said. "It’s the obvious question, but I really have no idea how long I’ll go. When the end comes, I guess I’ll know."