Track mark in First State

Cliff and Herb Siegel, Lee Wasserman, and John Fodera's Spirit Of A Shark won the sixth annual $150,000 First State Free-for-All at Harrington Raceway in a track and world record time of 1:50.4 Memorial Day Monday.

The old mark for aged pacing geldings on a half-mile was shared by Cambest Prince and Michael's Western. 'Shark,' a Carl Cito Jr. trainee was driven by Hall of Famer Catello Manzi, who set all the fractions of :27, :55, and 1:22.4. He fought off a gallant late charge from pocket-sitting Pacific Renegade (Yannick Gingras) and Winfall Nasty (John Campbell) who finished second and third, respectively. All Over the Place (Ron Pierce) was fourth.

The Cam's Card Shark gelding has now made nearly $200,000 in 2006 and more than $400,000 lifetime.

"He's a very good horse that Carl just got a hold of," said Manzi. "I've got lots of confidence in the horse and lots of confidence in Carl Cito so it was nice to come here and do this. Carl's as good a friend as you can get. He'd do anything for you and he's a great horsemen. It's a pleasure driving for him."

Cito, who won the inaugural event in 2001 with Mighty Khan N, became the only two-time winning trainer of the event.

"The game plan with the trip was just how it went," said Cito. "We worked him at Freehold last week and he got around there good so we thought he'd be good here."

The 15-race program was the fastest ever carded at Harrington as 11 races went in sub-1:54 and four were faster than 1:52. The slowest race of the night went in 1:56.4.

"I love this track," added Manzi, who has arguably driven in more races on a half-mile racetrack than any other driver. "They've done a great job with the surface over the last few years and it's such a fast piece of dirt."

Boy Oh Boy Stable's Dream Rocket (Pierce, 1:52.1) won the subfeatured $18,500 Open for his third consecutive win.

Sparkler, owned by Wayne Pryor and Wendy Crissman (1:51.3, Dave Miller) won the $16,500 Delaware Special.

The second fastest race of the night was in one of three $15,000 winners-over divisions when Charles and Steve Rizzuto and Albert Taragano's O'Rourke Three (Pierce) was victorious in 1:51.2. Pierce won six races on the card, while Tony Morgan won five.

(Harrington release)

« Back