Teague's horse wins Smullin race
Harness Racing
By TED BLACK
For nearly a decade the annual $130,000 Wayne Smullin Memorial for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings at Rosecroft Raceway has been the track's only stakes and a fitting tribute to the talented trainer-driver born and raised in Onley.
Saturday night the Rosecroft again hosted two divisions of the Smullin Memorial and once again the race would prove to have several connectins to the late, great horseman. Trainer George Teague Jr., who hails from Melfa, won the first division with Mattdultery, while catch-driver Victor Kirby won the second division with Rustys Casino.
Although it has been more than 20 years since Smullin passed away, the race is an ideal tribute to the local legend. During his prime in the late 1970's and early 1980's, Smullin was unquestionably the top driver on the Maryland circuit in terms of talent and integrity. He was the first driver in Rosecroft history to win more than 100 races in a single meet and he captured the 1983 driving title at Freestate posthumously six weeks after he passed away.
Heading into the first $65,000 Smullin, Mattdultery (Tony Morgan) and Rusty's For Real (Brad Hanners) had garnered much of the attention. Mattdultery, a Real Desire colt trained by Teague for owners Bill Camp Jr. and former New York Jets wide receiver Wayne Chrebet's Double Down Stable, was the 4-5 favorite while Rusty's For Real, an undefeated Real Artist colt trained by Robert Myers, was the 7-5 second choice.
When the gate folded in the first Smullin division, Mattdultery left to gain command in a 27.3 opener and Rusty's For Real, who won a Maryland Race Fund event at Ocean Downs on July 29, was away in good fashion and dropped into the pocket. But as he had done at the seaside oval, Rusty's For Real broke stride before the quarter and two of his foes, Mr Aviator and Yankee Man, were fortunate to get around him.
With his main nemesis out of contention, Mattdultery not only had things his own way he set the tempo with a five-length lead to the half in 56.2 and by three-quarters in 1:24.4. Since only 50-1 Mr Aviator remained anywhere close, Mattdultery looked poised for a simple stroll in the park. But at the top of the lane, still four lengths clear of Mr Aviator, Mattdultery broke stride.
As his mount went into a gallop, Morgan quickly grabbed the reins and gathered in the Real Desire colt. Mattdultery got back on stride quickly and then responded to several cracks of the whip from Morgan to keep Mr Aviator at bay for a half-length victory in 1:54. It was the fourth win in five starts for Mattdultery, who will seek to add to his $90,000 bankroll over the next two weeks at Mohawk Raceway in the $1 million Metro Stakes.
"He was traveling really comfortably to the half and three-quarters," said Morgan, who is on pace to capture the 2006 Ocean Downs driving title and to become the first driver in harness racing history to win 1,000 races in a year. "Then at the top of the stretch I pulled his tail. I wanted to shake him up a little. I guess he didn't like it. I was able to gather him up right away and he finished well. He felt fine to the half and down the backside."
Teague, who had also won a Smullin division last summer with Total Truth in 1:52.2, sent out two horses in the second Smullin division. Jesse N Echo (Hanners) was the even-money favorite while Outsource (Wayne Long) was the 2-1 second choice. But this winner would prove to get an assist from the paddock blacksmith.
Outsource, Southern Myles and Jesse N Echo all dueled for command through the first turn and Outsource forced Southern Myles to take a seat in a quick 26.4 opener before opting to yield to his uncoupled stablemate Jesse N Echo. The favorite maintained an honest tempo by the half in 55.3, but the early fractions would eventually take their toll on him and also comprize the other Teague trainee.
As Jesse N Echo led the field down the backside, Rustys Casino (Vic Kirby) gradually made his presence felt while first over and Ruff Me Up (Jonathan Roberts) followed that one second over. Outsource looked to be in an ideal spot in the pocket, but he was soon shuffled back and would only manage to get third.
Rustys Casino wore down the favorite through the far turn then kept Ruff Me Up and Outsource at bay through the lane for a two-length score in 1:53.3. Trained by Steve Leblanc for the Carter Racing Stables and Thomas Vine, Rustys Casino has now won twice in five starts and banked nearly $46,000. But the real hero of this affair might have been paddock blacksmith, Dean Haas.
"I could tell that he threw a shoe in the post parade," Kirby said. "If it had been just another race, I probably would have gone on without it. But for the Smullin, I figured it was best to have another one put on. I took him back to the paddock and Dean did a great job getting a shoe on him. He raced super after that. He was first up down the backside and then he had something left for the stretch drive. It's an honor to win a race like this for Wayne Smullin. Not too many people from my generation remember Wayne. But I was at Freestate the night of the accident."
For more than 20 years, Smullin's widow, Jackie Roe, has ventured to the winner's circle for all of the races named in honor of her late husband. After Freestate dropped the Smullin memorial in the late 1980's, Roe revived it and for many years paid for the winning blanket. Rosecroft eventually named a trotting series for Smullin and finally renamed the Presidential Stakes for him in 1994.
"What's great is that people who race here still remember Wayne," Roe said. "I always like it more when some of the local guys who raced against Wayne win the race. I'm grateful that Victor remembers Wayne and said so many nice things about him. I still can't believe he was at Freestate the night of the accident. He must have been a little kid."
That same night at Ocean Downs, several local owners and trainers managed to post victories that were considerably less lucrative.
In the opening race on the card, Captain B (Chuck Perry Jr.) rallied from third over and widest of all to overhaul Windys Dream Boy in the lane for a neck victory in 2:01.4. A five-year-old Go Get Lost gelding owned, bred and trained by William Fletcher of Oak Hall, Captain B notched his third win in four starts this summer at the seaside oval. He has banked over $29,000 in his 68-race career.
Later on the same card, Inner Success N (Jason Green) brushed to command before the half in 56.2 and then cruised to a five-length victory in 1:54.1. Trained by Norman "Buddy" Bell of Ocean City for Texan Joseph Mansfield, Inner Success N notched his fifth win in 14 starts this year.
He had finished second to Garnethill Sizzler last Sunday in the $11,000 Whitey Mansfield Final.
Originally published Saturday, August 26, 2006 |
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