New owner loves the claiming game

The day Ben Mondello bought No Lou Zing was unlike anything during his time as a racehorse owner. Normally a “claiming guy,” the longtime Thoroughbred owner and Standardbred newcomer found himself battling for the Grand Circuit-winning harness racing pacer in an onGait.com online auction earlier this month.

Mondello, despite any trepidation, registered the top bid of $151,000 to get the horse.

“It was a new experience for me,” Mondello said. “It was nerve-racking. I’m not that kind of owner. I don’t go to the Thoroughbred sales and sit there and bid. But at the end of the day, we got him.”

No Lou Zing, trained previously by Nancy Takter and now in the stable of Jennifer Bongiorno, made his first start for Mondello in last week’s Open at The Meadowlands. The 5-year-old gelding finished second and returns to the same class Saturday at The Big M, where he faces five rivals including multiple-stakes-winning millionaire Charlie May in his 4-year-old debut.

Brian Sears will drive No Lou Zing, who is the 3-1 morning-line second choice. Let It Ride N, last week’s winner, is the 5-2 favorite. Charlie May is 4-1. Saturday marks the first of six live Meadowlands telecasts this year on Fox Sports 2. Saturday’s card, which begins at 6:20 p.m. EDT, will air from 7-11 p.m. EDT.

No Lou Zing, the winner of the 2020 Jenna’s Beach Boy and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship, has posted 11 victories in 40 career starts and earned $621,917.

“I’m a different kind of guy; I’d rather take three claimers for $50,000 than one horse for $150,000,” Mondello said. “I’m an accountant by trade, so I go by the numbers. But there was some upside on this horse. Not that Nancy didn’t do a great job, she did a phenomenal job. But sometimes these classy horses just get a little stale on a program.

“Maybe we have something here. We like the horse, the horse is sound, and that’s half the battle. Now we just have to place him in the right spots. We’re going to take it slow and go start by start and see where we go.”

Mondello lives in New Rochelle, N.Y., about six miles from Yonkers Raceway. He first got involved in racing by passing time at The Meadowlands, even though he knew nothing about horses. He eventually was invited to join in ownership of a Thoroughbred and has been owning racehorses for 15 years. He has ranked among the top 100 Thoroughbred owners in wins three times, most recently in 2018.

Given his proximity to Yonkers, a friend continually suggested Mondello get involved in harness racing. He got his first Standardbred in October and now owns 10.

“I’m still involved with the Thoroughbreds, but it was becoming too frustrating for me,” Mondello said. “I’m a claiming guy, I’m not really a Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, baby type of owner. When you go to claim a horse in the Thoroughbreds, you’re there with about 15 other guys trying to claim the same horse. The odds are very slim to get one, so it was getting frustrating.

“And the beauty (of harness racing) is that if you get a bad trip or a bad post, you’re right back in the box the next week. In the Thoroughbreds, if you get a bad ride or a horse breaks poorly from the gate, you’re waiting six weeks to go again.”

So far this year, Mondello ranks among North America’s top 45 Standardbred owners in purses, with $315,250.

“I love to claim, I like to be aggressive, and I love to put the horses where they belong,” Mondello said. “If I’m not first or second choice in a race, I’m upset. That means I didn’t do my job well. We try to put them where they belong and give ourselves a chance. If they get claimed, I always wish the new owner luck. Whatever happens, I’m OK with it.”

Mondello, given his accounting background, treats ownership as a business and keeps his eyes on the bottom line. But while winning races is the name of the game, he enjoys his involvement in racing for much more than that.

“I love to win races, but I want to build friendships as we go, and have some fun doing it,” Mondello said. “That’s what we’re doing. I enjoy the Bongiorno’s a lot. In a short period of time, I’ve come to a good friendship with these guys.

“It’s funny, my friends always tell me that I own all these Thoroughbreds and I never go to the races, but I’ll go to Yonkers and watch the harness races. It’s true. I get a different enjoyment out of it. I have a group of guys that go with me every Monday to Yonkers and it’s like a ritual now. We have a lot of laughs, we have a lot of fun, and that’s really what it’s all about.”

Prior to Saturday’s Meadowlands main card at 6:20 p.m., there will be two non-wagering New Jersey Breeders Maturity events at 5 p.m. for 4-year-old pacers.

TrackMaster past performances for all Meadowlands cards can be found at the track’s website here.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA