By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – One thing was
certain at the conclusion of Saturday night’s $141,250 Arthur J. Cutler
Memorial at The Meadowlands: Manchego is not the retiring type.
The 6-year-old mare went a herculean
mile in taking the 24th edition of the event for Free For All
trotters, scoring in 1:51.1. Pretty good for a horse who had called it a career
after taking the TVG Open Trot last November over arch-rival Atlanta to sew up
divisional honors.
“She had a swoon last year,” said
owner Barry Guariglia (Black Horse Racing), “so I thought we should finish the
season and be done with it. But then she rallied [winning the TVG and Breeders
Crown] but we retired her anyway.”
Then, trainer Nancy Takter got
involved.
“Nancy said Manchego is happier on
the racetrack than in a paddock,” said Guariglia of his decision to bring the
two-time Dan Patch Award and three-time Breeders Crown winner back to the
races. “Obviously, it is so far, so good. I’m happy with my decision to race her.”
So are her fans.
Manchego was extremely wide into the
first turn after leaving the gate from post nine in the 10-horse field. Early
leader Guardian Angel As yielded the top briefly to Felicityshagwell S before
making a second move to the lead and hitting the half in :54.4, leaving
Manchego – who never saw the rail at any point – first-over.
But despite the fact the daughter of
Muscle Hill-Secret Magic was off a mediocre qualifier for her seasonal debut,
she showed why she has been one of the top trotters in the sport since 2017.
“I was thinking at the half that
she’s getting tortured,” said Guariglia, “but the way [driver] Dexter [Dunn]
was sitting, I could tell she wasn’t done.”
Manchego continued to inch closer to
Felicityshagwell S as they made their way on and around the far turn as
Majestic Player A followed live cover from the eventual winner. After a
thrilling three-horse, stretch-long battle to the wire, Manchego prevailed by a
hard-earned nose over a determined Majestic Player A. Guardian Angel As was
third. Lindy The Great, the even-money favorite, did not fire after a
third-over trip and finished eighth.
In registering her 34th
career victory from 57 starts, Manchego lifted her lifetime earnings to
$2,793,806. As the 9-2 second choice in the wagering, she returned $11.60 to
her backers.
“I’m lucky she’s got the turn of foot
she’s got,” said Dunn. “She was truly brave tonight.”
GREAT GRADUATES: Poseidon Seelster went a three-hole
trip and found just enough room late along the inside to register a 14-1 upset
in a lifetime-best 1:47.4 in the first of two $50,000 divisions of the second
leg of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old Open pacers.
Warrawee Vital, the 8-5 favorite, led
at every call until the last and was resilient through the stretch to miss by a
nose. Right there at the finish was the pocket-sitting Tattoo Artist, who was
another nose back in the three-horse photo.
“He certainly proved himself
tonight,” said winning driver George Brennan, who has teamed with trainer Nik
Drennan to be one of the most prolific driver-trainer teams at The Big M. “The
trip could not have worked out any better. I wasn’t sure I got up at the wire.”
Ruthless Hanover stayed perfect in
two Graduate starts by scoring decisively in the second Graduate split as the
even-money public choice in a lifetime-best 1:48. Despite getting roughed up
while parked past the half in :53.4, the Tom Cancelliere trainee won his third
straight at the mile oval in sub-1:49 dating back to December, holding off Save
Me A Dance by a length. Chief Mate was third.
“It was a rough half,” said winning
driver Andy McCarthy. “But he does what he has to do. He’s an incredible
horse.”
BLAZING A TRAIL: One week after equaling Stars Align
A’s national-season’s record of 1:48, American History lowered that mark by
stopping the clock in 1:47.2 in a high-end conditioned pace as the 1-2
favorite.
“He’s been terrific,” said McCarthy,
who was in the sulky behind the Tony Alagna trainee. “He’s starting to find his
rhythm now.”
HUGE HANDLE AGAIN: All-source wagering totaled
$4,088,468, the fifth time in 2021 that betting has busted the $4-million
barrier. It also marked the seventh time this year that weekend action exceeded
the $7-million plateau.
A LITTLE MORE: For the third time in the last four
race cards, McCarthy registered four wins, giving him 13 victories over that
span. The 35-year-old pilot now has 60 wins on the year, good for second in the
standings behind Dunn, who has 79. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.
