from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — The Virgil Morgan, Jr. barn has become synonymous with pacing power for good reason.

It is home to recently crowned 2007 Older Pacer of the Year Mister Big and Mypanmar, who bids to become pacing’s newest millionaire in the featured $46,500 Open Pace on Saturday night (Dec. 22) at the Meadowlands.

Mypanmar is just $666 shy of the $1 million earnings mark after winning last week’s event in 1:50. He will start from post five in the seventh race, the second leg of the $50,000 guaranteed Pick 4. Mypanmar has banked more than $800,000 over the past two seasons, despite having reached the winner’s circle only nine times. The 6-year-old son of The Panderosa races for owner-breeder Bob Glazer’s Peter Pan Stables of Pepper Pike, Ohio.

“We thought about shutting down Mypanmar, but every time we think about it he comes back to redeem himself,” Morgan said. “As long as he continues to race the way he is I see no reason to stop with him. This horse has so much natural gait speed that some drivers have gotten carried away with it. That was definitely a gutsy drive by Tim Tetrick to weave in and out last week.”

Mypanmar’s biggest win came when he defeated his stablemate in the $480,000 Monticello OTB Final on July 24, 2007.

“Mypanmar cut it and Mister Big drew post five, and he was forced wide around dead cover,” Morgan noted of their one-two finish.

Earlier this week, Mister Big was named 2007 Older Pacer of the Year by the U.S. Harness Writers Association. Owned by Joseph Muscara of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., Mister Big won 12 of 28 starts, $1,310,914 and took a mark of 1:47.4 for the season. He had major wins in the Aquarius, William Haughton Memorial and U.S. Pacing Championship at the Meadowlands, along with the Allerage Farm and Willowdale.

“We bought Mister Big at Harrisburg last year for $255,000,” Morgan said. “He had just raced in the Breeders Crown (finished second). We started him off in the Willowdale at Woodbine because I tried to spot him in situations where he was just going to race against 4-year-olds instead of aged veterans. He also fit the Aquarius Series at the Meadowlands. We thought we could get a quick little return on our money.

“He can do it on the front end, but he definitely loves to pass horses and he proved that,” he continued. “He drew bad posts early in the season and that dictated how we raced him. In the Aquarius Final he had post eight and closed from ninth with a :25.4 final quarter. That was kind of an unnoticed mile with the way he accomplished it. You don’t win at the Meadowlands off a :57.2 half sitting ninth. That’s a :52.1 back half! Even in the U.S. Pacing Championship he had the 10 hole, floated out there, was parked and still won.”

While the Aquarius Series Final was neither his richest win of the season (it was the $650,000 William R. Haughton Memorial) nor his fastest (a 1:47.4 clocking in the U.S. Pacing Championship), Morgan considers it his brightest performance.

“The time (in the U.S. Pacing Championship) was flashy, but there were four or five races, and I keep going back to the Aquarius,” Morgan said. “He also won in 1:48.4 and 1:48.1 at Lexington. He went first over in the Breeders Crown and lost by a nose to Artistic Fella. That was a hell of an effort.

“He stayed so good all year long because Joe Muscara really let me do my own thing with him,” he continued. “Instead of racing him right away, we qualified him four times. We didn’t beat him up in the Opens. He was a warhorse racing in January, all the way to Lexington and stayed good. He’s getting a well-deserved break now. We’ll bring him back in training in January and have him ready for the Meadowlands in May or June. Hopefully, we’ll do it all over again.”

Morgan, 42, of Columbus, Ohio, is capping his first $4 million season and currently ranks fifth in the nation in wins. The bulk of his stable is based at Scioto Downs in Ohio, with an additional 30 horses stabled at Gaitway Farms in Englishtown, N.J. and 15 in Canada.

“With the Meadows and Indiana getting slots I’m in a neutral spot,” he said. “I’ll probably race more at the Meadowlands than I ever have (in 2008).”

Meadowlands Holiday schedule reminder

There will be no live racing at the Meadowlands the week of Dec. 23-29.

The Meadowlands is closed (no simulcasting) on Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve), Dec. 25 (Christmas), Dec. 29 (Giants vs. Patriots) and Dec. 30 (Jets vs. Chiefs). Daytime simulcasting only will be available on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

Go to www.meadowlandsracetrack.com for a complete schedule.

Favorites at Woodbridge, the state’s luxury off-track wagering facility, is open every day for simulcasting, with the exception of Christmas. Check www.favoritesnj.com for a schedule.

The 2008 racing season kicks off Wednesday, Jan. 2, and follows a Wednesday-Saturday night live schedule the month of January. Post time is 7:00 p.m. for the new meet.