Overlooked at 22-1 in the field of nine talented pacers, Manchine asserted his dominance as he closed strongly through the lane to capture the $30,000 New Hampshire Sweepstakes Final at Rockingham Park on Saturday
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Trained and driven confidently by Gary Mosher, Manchine prevailed by a neck on a fast track in 1:52.2 and a very fast closing Golden Mattjesty, sent off at 11-1, was second while 7-2 choice Mata Harry held on for third. While Manchine's final time wasn't close to the stakes record of 1:49.2, Mosher was thrilled with his horse's performance nevertheless.
"I wanted to lead with the horse today and he got a little steppy coming out of there. I had him fired up so I had to take him back, Mosher explained. "When I see the nine horse [PH Bestman] was parked and the favourite [Cactus Creek] wasn't gonna let him go, I just come as quick as I could and got up in behind him. I rested my horse a little on the turn and then he came off the turn and really dug in."
Cactus Creek, the short-priced favourite at 3-5, led into the lane but came up empty when asked and faded the rest of the way home to wind up as a well beaten sixth. In a twist of irony, Mr Nice Guy finished last.
The winner, a four-year-old son of Western Ideal and the Artsplace mare Midnight Art, rewarded his backers with $46.40, $16.80 and $8.60 and keyed a $307.20 perfecta and a $2,878.40 trifecta. While Manchine has been campaigned at Rockingham over the past couple of seasons, it was Mosher's first participation in Rockingham's signature race.
"I've won over 5,000 races in my career and won a lot of major races, but this is the first time I've been in the New Hampshire Sweepstakes," he said. "I'm really glad to be able to add this race to my list of accomplishments."
Also on Saturday, Gray Bomber was an easy winner of the $12,000 Mountain Skipper Final in a stakes record 1:52.2 and the victory could not have been more meaningful to driver/trainer John Nason.
Nason is the son of the late Arthur Nason, who owned the 1973 Aged Pacer of the Year for whom the series is named. Moreover, the then 18-year-old John Nason drove Mountain Skipper to victory in his final start here at Rockingham on October 12, 1974. On Saturday, Steve Nason, John's son and Arthur's grandson, led Gray Bomber to the paddock and helped him get ready to race.
Overcome with emotion in the winner's circle after Gray Bomber's win, John Nason recovered his composure and then said through tears, "This means a lot. It's been since 1974 that my dad had a great horse and he died in 1990. I wore his pants today for good luck and I could feel him watching over me today. I'm so proud to have the stakes record, and in all the years they're been having this race at Rockingham, I never even had a horse in it before. It's pretty touching, really"
Gray Bomber, the 7-5 second choice in the field of six three and four-year-olds who is owned by Janet Bennett, paid $4.80 while 4-5 favourite Bettorthantherest was second and 50-1 shot River Hawk rounded out the trifecta.
(Rockingham Park)