New driver for top frosh

Western Ace has drawn post six in the first of two Matron eliminations Saturday at Dover Downs, but for the first time the 2-year-old gelding who earlier this year won the $375,000 Woodrow Wilson Pace will not have driver Ron Pierce behind him. With Pierce opting off for the two-for-two Took Hanover (who drew post one), trainer and co-owner George Teague Jr. made the decision to use 2005 North America dash leader Cat Manzi.



"He's as good as anybody," said Teague with a laugh about Manzi, who has won nearly 600 races this year. "Cat's a good guy and a good driver. I understand Ronnie's situation, he said that he drove most of them for (owner) Adam Victor and he thinks that colt is good enough where he has some potential. That's the way this business rolls.



"Cat drives as good as anybody and better than most. If you give him the same horsepower he isn't any less driver than anybody out there today."



A son of Western Ideal, Western Ace has won nine of 10 starts this year and $494,052 in purses for owners Teague Inc. and Kovach Stables. His lifetime best of 1:51.2 came while winning the Woodrow Wilson at the Meadowlands in early August. Western Ace's last pari-mutuel start was a Bluegrass win at The Red Mile Oct. 1, but since then Teague has qualified his charge twice.



As for 2004 Horse of the Year Rainbow Blue, who suffered a tendon injury in her left front leg this past spring and has been sidelined since, Teague said he continues to jog the 4-year-old mare and will likely begin soon training her.



"She's jogging back, nothing changes. I probably won't start training her until the first of next month or the end of this month," he said. "The reports are good on her leg; it looks great."

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