July 15, 2002
-- by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway
Monticello, NY --- The newest Hall of Famer, driver Catello Manzi, returned=
home yesterday, July 14, and reined two winners in New York Sire Stakes tro=
ts at Monticello Raceway, while Wally Hennessey, the perennial leading drive=
r on the Empire State circuit, added three sire stakes victories to his care=
er total.
Monticello Raceway presented eight events for New York-bred trotters racing=
for purses in excess of $250,000. In all, there were three divisions for so=
phomore trotting fillies and five events for freshmen trotting colts, with m=
ost horses making their first lifetime starts.
Manzi , who began his illustrious career at Monticello over 33 years ago, d=
rove A & G Stables' Ego, a 2 year-old son of Sir Taurus, to his maiden victo=
ry in 2:11 over Iroquoindiangiver (Wally Hennessey) in their $25,130 divisio=
n, and then Manzi came back and guided Tom Garcia and Debbie Frantz' 3-year-=
old filly Just Go to a wire-to-wire triumph in 2:03.4, turning back Lilly (J=
eff Gregory) in that $49,362 sophomore division.
Hennessy began the afternoon with three consecutive New York Sire Stakes vi=
ctories. Before the betting card got underway he reined Kennedy, Johnston, V=
an Drean, and Barnello's Xtreme Kash, a 2-year-old son of El Paso Kash, to a=
2:08 victory in a $24,603 division of freshmen trotting colts, and scored i=
n another freshmen division with Kirkland Standardbreds' Top Bid in 2:08.3 o=
ver Levitys Pride and driver Bill Blake, Jr.
Hennessey also copped a $48,462 division for sophomore fillies with Ival Ci=
anchette's Peachy Sue, beating Princess Peri by three lengths in 2:03.2.
However, the most impressive mile of the afternoon was that turned in by Ch=
emung Blue Chip, a 3-year-old daughter of Sir Taurus. With driver Berndt Lin=
stedt aboard, Chumung Blue Chip cruised to an easy, four length triumph in h=
er $48,462 division over Dark Lady (Bill Bailey) in 2:03.2, trotting the fin=
al two furlongs in :30.1.
"She 's a real nice filly and very good on a half-mile track," Lindstedt sa=
id of Chumung Blue Chip after her victory. "She is one of the best (3 year-o=
ld trotting fillies) in the New York Sire Stakes."
Now undefeated in three seasonal starts Chemung Blue Chip is a winner of se=
ven of nine lifetime starts for owner Bob Waxman of Ancaster, Ont.
John Stark, Jr. won a $25,130 freshman colt division with Pat Sergi's In Fr=
ank's Pocket, a son of Eighteen Karat, in 2:09.4, holding off a fast-closing=
Unserveable (Lance Hudson), and Scott Mongeon won a final freshman leg with=
Hargett and Gunnarsen's Seaway Shane, another son of Eighteen Karat. After =
going off-stride in the first turn Seaway Shane caught the field and trotted=
past the leaders in final turn, scoring in 2:09.1 over Cross Creek Whiz and=
driver Dan Daley.