Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Personality of the Month
for March 2007

John Manzi

John Manzi comes from one of harness racing's most prolific and oldest families in the sport. The son of John Manzi Sr, he is also the nephew of brothers Al and Richard, who formed a family stable in New York in 1951. John also has a cousins in driving sensation Cat Manzi, and trainer-driver Eddie Lohmeyer.

John Manzi
(left) was honored for his outstanding work at
Monticello Raceway over the past 26 years.
Dave Hanlon (right), Empire Resorts president,
awarded Manzi a certificate of appreciation in 2006.

John quickly became involved in the stable activities as a youngster and began pursuing a driving career, alongside his cousin Catello Manzi (Cat), but soon realized his calling in harness racing was of a different nature. A winner of over 200 races lifetime, John hung up his colors for the last time in 1973 after nearly a decade of driving at his home track of Monticello Raceway in New York.

"When I realized that I couldn't drive like Cat, I thought it was time to give up driving," John laughted.

John took a position at Monticello Raceway in 1974 working first as assistant race secretary, then race secretary, followed by a position in community relations.

In 1980 John became the track's public relations man. That was the start of a career that definitely put John's talents to their greatest use--that of promoting the sport of harness racing--something John has done tirelessly over the years and often times with a very limited budget.

Manzi joined the United States Harness Writers Association in the mid-1970’s, eventually becoming national president in 1990 through 1991. In 1992 he received Member of the Year honors, the William R. Haughton Good Guy Award in 1999 and in 2006 he was the recipient of the Proximity Achievement Award. He has worked tirelessly to promote amateur driving with hopes that it will lure more people into the sport. He also serves as publicist of the C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Association.

John used every angle necessary to get publicity for Monticello over the years--including races such as the Elephantonian, the Best-Looking Driver Contest, and heritage races for people of Italian, Irish and African American descent. The little track in the Catskills mountains has gotten the kind of publicity over the years that a lot of raceways only dream about and seldom work at.

Early in 2007 at the US Harness Writers Aassociation annual meeting in Atlantic City, John was honored by being inducted into the Communications Corner of the National Harness Racing's Hall of Fame. John's formal induction ceremonies are slated for July 1, 2007 at the Annual Hall of Fame Banquet in Goshen, N.Y.