Manchego better off racing than retired

Harness racing owner Barry Guariglia’s decision to halt Manchego’s retirement is paying dividends for the longtime horse owner. The 6-year-old trotter by Muscle Hill is the No. 1-ranked horse in harness racing’s weekly poll and heads to Saturday’s C$536,000 Maple Leaf Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park with six wins in seven starts this season.

Guariglia announced last November that Manchego would retire at the end of her 2020 campaign. Two months later, trainer Nancy Takter revealed the two-time Dan Patch Award-winning mare would return in 2021.

Her triumphs this year include the John Cashman Memorial, Spirit of Massachusetts, Arthur J. Cutler Memorial, and Maxie Lee Memorial. Her 1:49.4 victory in a leg of the Miss Versatility Series is tied for the season’s fastest mile. Her win in the Cashman made her the first mare to capture the event over the boys since Moni Maker in 2000.

“I didn’t know she would be this good,” Guariglia said. “The fact that she’s been super is the cherry on top of the cake. Hopefully, she can continue.”

Manchego, who leads all older trotters in earnings this season with $419,755, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Maple Leaf Trot, which is one of the richest races for older trotters in North America. She will start from post seven with driver Dexter Dunn.

Over her past 10 races dating to last October, Manchego has eight wins, a second and a third. Her success during that span was initiated by a change in tactics that saw the mare come from off the pace rather than seek the lead during the opening half of races. In the first seven of those 10 races, she was never better than third at the half.

Prior to the change, she had led at the half in all but two of her previous 17 starts.

“The change was huge last year, and it was huge earlier this season,” Guariglia said. “Then they kind of figured it out and they wanted to line up behind her coming first up, so we had to change that a little bit. Now, it’s a jump ball, which is what we want. You don’t know what we’re going to do, and I think that’s a good thing.

“With this kind of competition, it’s kind of hard to send her (to the front) every week. I don’t think she would still be racing if we were still trying to do that. It’s nice to be able to pick your spots.”

Manchego, the winner of 39 of 63 career races and $3.14 million, heads to the Maple Leaf Trot off a 1:53.1 qualifier on Aug. 25 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. The Maple Leaf will be her first race since the Cashman on Aug. 7.

“We gave her a little break,” Guariglia said. “We opted not to go to Pocono (for the Sebastian K Invitational on Aug. 21), and she had a week off doing nothing. We wanted to qualify her on her own terms at Pocono. So far, everything has gone according to plan. Hopefully, we can deliver on Saturday.”

Manchego is seeking her first Maple Leaf Trot title in her third try. She was fifth last year, when rival Atlanta won the race. Atlanta is back this year, attempting to become the first horse to win the Maple Leaf in consecutive years since San Pail’s three-year run concluded in 2011.

Atlanta, with Yannick Gingras driving for trainer Ron Burke, is the 3-1 second choice. Burke also won the Maple Leaf Trot in 2017 with mare Hannelore Hanover.

For the year, Atlanta has won four of six races. Lifetime, the two-time Dan Patch Award winner and 2018 Hambletonian champion has won 29 of 57 and $2.89 million.

Beads, who missed by a nose against Manchego in the Cashman, is 7-2 with David Miller driving for trainer Per Engblom. Forbidden Trade, the 2019 Hambletonian champ, is 9-2 for driver Bob McClure and trainer Luc Blais.

Saturday’s card at Mohawk also includes the C$590,000 Canadian Pacing Derby for older pacers and C$316,000 Roses Are Red for older female pacers as well as two eliminations for each the North America Cup for 3-year-old pacers, Goodtimes for 3-year-old trotters, and Fan Hanover for 3-year-old female pacers.

Allywag Hanover is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Canadian Pacing Derby and Lyons Sentinel gets the 2-1 nod in the Roses Are Red.

Racing begins at 7 p.m. (EDT) Saturday at Mohawk.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA