Chris Arvanitis is not someone who gets easily excited, but this week has been a little bit different for the proprietor of a popular central New Jersey diner.

Having a horse in the Meadowlands Pace can do that to a guy.

Arvanitis is among the owners of Papis Pistol, who on Saturday will line up behind the starting gate with eight other three-year-old male pacers in the $656,000 USD Meadowlands Pace (Grade 1) at The Meadowlands. The colt, trained by Sam DePinto, will leave from post one with David Miller in the sulky and is 9-2 on the morning line.

Papis Pistol enters the race off a 1:49.1 prep victory last week at The Big M, where he kicked home in :25.4 over the last quarter mile. A month ago, he triumphed in 1:48 at Woodbine Mohawk Park – the second fastest win time of the season for a three-year-old pacer.

“It’s very exciting,” said Arvanitis. “I could not sleep the whole week. Usually, I don’t get that excited but something like this is something special. It’s something that you dream of but never think it will happen to you. I’ve been in the [racing] business for many, many years and I’ve never had such a special horse to think about being in these kinds of races. Now, I’m lucky enough and I enjoy every minute of it.”

Arvanitis moved from Greece to Ontario in the early 1970s and became enamoured with harness racing. He moved to the U.S. in the mid-1980s and he has owned Gus’s Diner, located just a couple minutes from Gaitway Farm in Manalapan, New Jersey for two decades.

“I’ve been in the horse business for over 50 years, it is my passion,” said Arvanitis. “With the diner, I see my favourite people every single day. I’ve had some good horses but nothing like 'Pistol.' I never thought I would be one of the owners for a big race. People congratulate me. They wish me luck. They know how hard it is to get a horse like that. They’re all good friends, all good customers of mine.”

Papis Pistol is a son of Papi Rob Hanover-Bang Bang who is shared in ownership by Arvanitis, Shannon DePinto, Anthony Perretti and Brad Shackman. Perretti and Shackman were among the colt’s breeders, with Joseph Davino.

Last year, Papis Pistol won four of 14 races, including the Kindergarten Classic Series final, and earned $255,384. His mark of 1:49.3 tied for sixth fastest among two-year-old male pacers last season. This season, he has two victories in four starts.

“It’s unbelievable the way he looks, on the track and off the track,” said Arvanitis, who visits his horses at the stable regularly. “The way he is built, it looks like he is ready to race.”

Madden Oaks is the 5-2 morning line favourite in the Meadowlands Pace. He will leave from post nine with Braxten Boyd driving for trainer Cameron Capone. The colt has hit the board in all seven of his starts this season, with two wins and a second-place finish behind Louprint in the Pepsi North America Cup last month at Mohawk. The margin was a head.

Louprint, ranked No. 1 in harness racing’s Top 10 poll, was the Meadowlands Pace 7-5 morning line favourite but needed minor surgery on Monday that is expected to keep him out of action for several weeks.

“Louprint is an exceptional horse,” said Arvanitis. “It is too bad he won’t be in the race. It is heartbreaker for the owners and for the sport, to be honest with you. But with the horses, that’s how it is, the ups and downs.”

Arvanitis is hoping “up” is the direction for Papis Pistol on Saturday.

“I hope we have a good race,” he said. “We’ll see what kind of trip that we get and we’ll see how the race unfolds. A race is a race.

“Maybe it is our time. Who knows? We’ll see.”

Racing begins at 6:20 p.m. For free TrackMaster past performances for The Big M, click here.

(USTA)