Son of McArdle soars to 1:49.4 victory

Success struck a second time in the $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic for trainer Chris Ryder and driver Cat Manzi on Saturday night at the Meadowlands. The team behind 2002 champion McArdle was back in the winner’s circle with his son, McCedes, who soared through the stretch to win the richest of state-bred races in 1:49.4.

Manzi got away fourth with McCedes as 8-5 favorite Mr Nice Guy looped around Harley D Hanover in a :26.4 opening quarter.  Daley Deposit Only dueled with Mr Nice Guy down the backstretch and finally took command in a hot 53.2 half.  With the leaders fading on the final turn, Manzi hustled McCedes [$9.80, $4.80, $3.80] home to win by 1-1/14 lengths over the fast-charging Rudy Rednose [$7.00, $4.40].  Harley D Hanover [$5.00] held on for third, after coming first-up in the stretch.

“I was sitting fourth,” Manzi said, “not a bad spot because I was pretty sure once [Daley Deposit Only] got used up hard, I would get Yannick Gingras [Harley D Hanover] to give him a try.  It happened to work.  He has a habit of bearing in.  Once he clears, he thinks it’s over.  He was just drifting in a little but I kept him out of trouble.  Sometimes when you drive them, they get going sideways.  I went into this race with a great feeling because the last two weeks this horse has stepped up this game.  I came in with a positive note.”

McCedes has now won six of 17 starts for Ryder and co-owner Jerry Silva of Long Beach, NY.  Ryder was rewarded with two breedings to McArdle, a winner of $2.5 million, and his search for a broodmare yielded an unraced daughter of The Panderosa named Only Gossip.  Ryder bought the mare and she produced McCedes as her first colt.  At two, McCedes posted four wins and three seconds in 11 starts for earnings of $98,718.

“I bred this one myself and it’s a great feeling,” Ryder said.  “I came in pretty confident.  The horse was really sharp last week and never got racing room.  He is not staked into the Meadowlands Pace or North American Cup but we aren’t worried about that, he is staked in most everything else.  The next race for him is the Hoosier Cup.”

McCedes is not the first son of a previous New Jersey Classic winner to win the event.  Cam’s Card Shark, who captured the race in 1994, sired the 2000 winner Riverboat King, the 2001 winner Bettor’s Delight and the 2007 winner Fresh Deck.  Matt’s Scooter, who won the New Jersey Classic in 1988, sired the 1996 winner Falcons Scooter.

Knock Three Times [$3.60, $2.10, $2.10] rushed past Ideal Newton [$3.40, $2.40] in the final strides to win the $200,000 Thomas D’Altrui Miss New Jersey, the companion event for fillies. 

Ideal Newton seized command from Cheyenne Trish in a brisk :55 half and easily repelled the challenge of Cartniverous to her outside.  As the field turned for home, driver Brian Sears tipped Knock Three Times three-wide and she nipped Ideal Newton by a head in 1:51.4.  Good News Lady [$3.00] employed a strong closing kick to finish third. 

“I was behind Ideal Newton and knew she was pushing it up front,” Sears said.  “My filly was pretty aggressive and I worked my way up there hoping to catch some cover, which I did.  Everything worked out from there.  My filly was a handful and I was three deep.  She was very aggressive, so I had to move her.  It was a great finish.”

Ross Croghan trains Knock Three Times, a daughter of Western Ideal.  She has now won three of 15 career starts and $294,846 for the Mentally Stable of Delray Beach, FL and Robert Cooper Stables of Boca Raton, FL.  

“She made most of her money last July here and was just disappointing the last half of the season,” Croghan said.  “She was pretty disappointing in her first start this year and we found she had a little heart arrhythmia.  We corrected it and she’s been effective ever since.” 

The two-legged Miss New Jersey, Amy Nicole Polumbo, presented the trophy to her equine namesake.  The Howell, NJ resident holds the honor for 2007-2008.

Both events, which are restricted to statebred racehorses, are sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey.

Earlier on the card, Soul Chaser sizzled with a 1:47.3 victory in the $42,000 winners over pace.  The 7-year-old gelding, driven by Ron Pierce, improved his record to nine wins in 16 starts this season.  Mister Big, the 2007 Older Pacer of the Year, sat fourth the whole way and made a late three-wide move to finish 1-3/4 lengths behind in second. (Meadowlands)

« Back