by David Mattia, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

New Brunswick, NJ — Mercantileexchange is another one of those Iowa speedsters, and while not yet up to Panoramic Art’s altitude, he is presently living up to his big business name. While horseflesh per se is not traded on Wall Street, this brown son of Market Report is the latest “hot commodity” in the Larry Remmen barn.

Lisa Photo

Mercantileexchange was a 1:53.2 winner for David Miller in the opening leg of the Matt’s Scooter at The Meadowlands.

Last Friday night (March 7), Mercantileexchange overcame an off track at The Meadowlands to score easily in the first leg of the Matt’s Scooter, and according to trainer Larry Remmen, his newest acquisition got off to a frustrating start despite an impressive qualifier on February 14.

“Jeff Cox sent him down to us five days before his qualifier,” said Remmen. “For the past 10-12 years, whenever Jeff has a horse who looks good, he sends it over to us from his base at Northfield. He gets the horse ready and we race it.

“He was strong in his qualifier (he won by 15-1/2 lengths in 1:58.4) which was his first start since October 20. In his first race after that Dave Miller thought it was best to keep him in and come on the end. If he’d had a few more starts for us we would have moved him early but as things turned out he got backed up in the race and he finished third. In his next start Dave moved him early and he got stacked up three wide at the half. He wound up finishing seventh.”

It seems that it took a few starts for Mercantileexchange and Dave Miller to get things together, and when it came time to score points in the Matt’s Scooter, they were both up to the task.

“He went a really good race that night over an off track,” said Remmen. “This horse is on the small side but he has a fast motor. He’s going to develop into a really good horse.

“He’s not a big stout horse but he has really good speed. He’s also a good feeling horse and very easy to drive.”

Mercantileexchange got his start on the Iowa fair circuit for owners Lesa and Rick Peters and trainer/driver Nick Royce Roland. He finished up 2007 with nine wins in 13 starts, $20,383 in earnings, and a 2-year-old mark of 1:53.4 taken at Prairie Meadows.

Mercantileexchange was sold to his current owners, Samuel Jacobs, Mark Jacobs and Ronald Reed on October 6, 2007 and after his 2-year-old season was moved into the Jeff Cox barn where the decision was made to send him to Larry Remmen at The Meadowlands.

“Jeff knows that he doesn’t have to worry that we’ll try to steal the horse from him,” said Remmen with a chuckle. “We’ve done well with horses that Jeff has sent us over the years, and Mercantileexchange looks like he’ll be another one of those horses.”

Mercantileexchange is a son of the Ohio stallion Market Report. To date Market Report, a son of Jate Lobell, has sired the winners of $784,155. His fastest and richest foal is Flea Market p,5,1:51.1z ($155,254), and he has also sired the very nice mare Marley p,4,1:52.3f ($97,867).

Mercantileexchange’s dam Lady Pharmacist is a daughter of Precious Bunny from the No Nukes mare Alma Lobell. She is the dam of five foals, all colts. Market Report has sired her first four foals. The first two, Pharm Report and Pharm Market had very limited success, but the pairing of Market Report and Lady Pharmacist finally got off the ground with the third foal, Pharm Review p,3,1:58.4h ($25,764).

Pharm Review is now racing at The Meadowlands for his owner Keith Motusesky, and in his last start, a 15,000 claiming event, he missed by a head — finishing second in 1:53.3 for driver Cat Manzi and trainer Carl Cito, Jr.

Lady Pharmacist’s next foal, her fourth, is Mercantileexchange, and her most recent foal (2007) is yet another colt named Eternal One (Eternal Optimist). It’s her first foal not sired by Market Report.

Friday night, Mercantileexchange will go to the post in the second leg of the Matt’s Scooter.

“He drew the 10 hole in a 12-horse race,” said Larry Remmen. “It’s not going to be easy from out there, but like I said, he’s a very fast horse who’s very easy to drive. I think he’ll give a good account of himself.”