Mathias Meinzinger knows about struggles in both the business world and harness racing game. He also knows how to overcome them
. Meinzinger, who owns One More Laugh with trainer Ray Schnittker and Jerry Silva, came to America from Hungary in 1956 and founded Creative Bath Products Inc. on Long Island in 1973.
It looked like he might take a bath on the business after recording sales of just $40,000 in the first year and wondering if he might survive. Today, Creative Bath has gone from two employees to 500 and has millions of dollars in revenue.
Meinzinger combined his business profits with his interest in racing to become an owner in the late 1980s.
“A friend of mine who owned a business across the street from us was an owner,” Meinzinger said. “I enjoyed the game; I used to go to the track. I didn’t have any horses, but I used to be a follower of the horses and I enjoyed a little gambling, so it sounded good.”
Meinzinger owns 32 horses; 10 broodmares, 10 race horses and a dozen yearlings. His most successful horse prior to One More Laugh, was Sealed N Delivered, who was the favourite in both the 1998 North America Cup and Meadowlands Pace.
That didn’t quite work out, however. In the North America Cup, Sealed N Delivered finished fifth. In the Meadowlands Pace, he got parked outside on the front end and came in 10th.
Meinzinger never let adversity affect his business career, though, so why should racing be any different? He stuck with it, and now has another quality horse in One More Laugh. Meinzinger bred One More Laugh; a son of Mcardle out of Meinzinger’s mare Fancy Creek Funny.
Last year, One More Laugh won nine of 12 races and set the world record for pacing on a five-eighths of a mile oval when he won the $600,000 Governor’s Cup in 1:49.2 at Harrah’s Chester. This year, he has won two of six starts, including the $294,965 Art Rooney Pace at Yonkers Raceway, and pushed his lifetime earnings to $800,287.
The ownership trio had high hopes for One More Laugh in the $1.5 million North America Cup on June 26 at Mohawk, only to see him finish seventh.
“He was totally stuck in there,” Meinzinger said. “The driver (Tim Tetrick) went out and tried to get position, couldn’t get position, went back to 10th place at the end and tried to wiggle out from the inside, but obviously it was too late and he couldn’t go anywhere.
“But that was only a position type of situation. He couldn’t overcome that, he was stuck inside. Tetrick chose to do what he thought was right, and that’s what happens sometimes.”
One More Laugh rebounded in his Meadowlands Pace elimination last weekend by finishing second to Rock N Roll Heaven in 1:47.3. The time was the fastest Pace elim in history.
“He almost got stuck again,” said Meinzinger, who could not be at the race and will also miss the final. “He couldn’t go out, then he went to the inside again and finally he wiggled out of it. By the time he went, he went in 26 (seconds) flat in the last quarter (mile).”
“I was trying to keep the other horse parked out without getting in a jam,” Tetrick said. “I didn’t want to have to break the stride at all and it just worked out good.”
Rock N Roll Heaven’s trainer, Bruce Saunders, was impressed with One More Laugh’s effort. “He had no chance from the spot he was in,” Saunders said. “He was closing with a lot of enthusiasm.”
One More Laugh’s driver shared that same enthusiasm. “I thought the race was super,” Tetrick said. “We were definitely gaining on the winner. I just have to hope for the luck of the draw. He’s a very nice horse and the thing about him is he never gets tired. He just needs to get lucky and have a trip.”
Meinzinger agreed. “This weekend, we need racing luck,” the owner said. “And of course it will depend on our position.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.