Devils Claw N wires field in Freehold feature
December 11, 2004,by Don Bielak , Freehold Raceway Publicity Director
Freehold, NJ — A sloppy track didn’t phase Devils Claw N– the five-year-old Albert Albert gelding easily swept the field to win the $18,000 Invitational Handicap at Freehold Raceway on Saturday.
Leaving the gate from post three as the favorite, reinsman David Miller guided the pacer straight to the front of the pack and sat there the entire mile, crossing the wire a length and a half ahead of the rest. Devils Claw N, leased and trained by Monico Stanislao, paced an impressive mile in 1:53.2 through the raindrops with a final quarter in 28, chalking up his 6th win this year.
Finishing close behind the Devil was Shaun Vallee trainee Sudden Strike A. The seven-year-old Panorama gelding, driven by Cat Manzi, left from post five and sat tight on the rail for the majority of the mile, gaining ground in the stretch to cross the wire in 1:54.2, improving three seconds from his disappointing seventh-place finish in the November 27th Invitational. Right on his tail in third was five-year-old RunTheTable gelding Silver D Moon (George Brennan).
Carlspur, the eight-year-old Carlsbad Cam stallion and longshot victor of last week’s Invitational, finished fourth with regular Steve Salerno in the bike.
Mannart Sound Wave scores againRichard Hernandez and Shaun Vallee’s Mannart Sound Wave led from the outset on Saturday afternoon and won Freehold’s $13,000 featured pace.
With the meet’s leading driver, Catello Manzi, in the sulky, the heavily backed gelding was clocked in 1:54.4 over a sloppy track, he won by one and one-quarter lengths, and returned $3.80, $3.00, and $2.20 to those who backed him at the windows.
Fish My Pal, driven by Pat Lachance, finished second, and Yulestar N settled for third.
The victory was the second straight and sixth of the year for Mannart Sound Wave, who is trained by Vallee.