Cedric Washington has been a fixture at Monticello Raceway for years now. The affable 47-year-old African-American driver has reined 1,762 winners, a number that any driver would be proud to sport.
On the Monticello Raceway's August 12 program, Washington added two more winners to his numbers when he guided Tangeray to a 2:02 victory in the ninth race before coming back to win the 11th dash Got Game in 2:00:1.
For years now, Washington has been involved with the connections of Tangeray, trained by Don Honour for the East Heartland Corporation of Millbrook, New York.
“I have been driving on and off for them for many years now,” Washington said. “Back nine or 10 years ago it was with one of their horses, Niagara Blue Chip, that I rode my fastest mile when we won the final of the Mayflower Pacing Series at Pocono Downs in 1:54:2.”
And Washington was quick to point out that together he and Niagara Blue Chip had won all three preliminary legs prior to the final.
With his dad, General 'Bubba' Washington a career horseman, it was only natural that Cedric would become involved in harness racing.
“After I graduated high school I got more involved in racing and began working for Frank Yanoti and it was Yanoti, my dad, and Carmine Macedonio who helped me get my driving license in the early '80s,” Washington recalled.
Washington credits trainer Peter Stratton for giving him a chance to drive regularly back in the mid 1980s. “Pete was real good to me and let me drive most of his stock back then when few knew who I was. It was a great opportunity for me,” he said.
Washington first cracked the 100-win plateau during the 1992 season when he reined 138 winners. He won 102 times in 1994 and then from 1998 through 2003 Washington crossed the century mark each year. His 141 winners in 2000 was his best seasonal output to date.
Though the names of the winners were hard to recall, he is proud of his New York Sire Stakes trotting victory five or six years ago here at Monticello Raceway and of the many late closers which he has won over the years.
Washington was also instrumental with helping the 'Mighty M' publicity department produce its first race for all-black drivers in the late 1990s, which was dubbed the 'Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pace.'
“I worked with John Manzi who was a little leery in putting the race together because he didn’t want to offend anyone, but he really wanted to showcase the talents of African-American drivers, many of whom never got a chance to race competitively. But the Dr. King Pace has been very successful and has become an annual event (at the Mighty M) on or around the birthday of the great civil rights leader,” Washington said. He then added: “I’m proud to have won that race (Dr. King Pace) three times over the years.”
(Monticello)