Anyone with $40,000 burning a hole in his pocket could have had Mannington, who began his 5-year-old season at Gulfstream Park in January by winning a claimer at that level. That investment would have seemed most wise Sunday at the Hallandale Beach oval, where the Florida-bred gelding dug in for his first stakes victory in the $75,000 Sunshine State Stakes.
Mannington, a son of Delaware Township bred by Padua Stables, fought off a fast-closing Dream Maestro to win the seven-furlong test by a head, coming through as the favorite in a field of eight Florida-bred ages 4 and up.
With Elvis Trujillo aboard, Mannington led most of the way, covering the opening quarter of a mile in 22.96 seconds and a half-mile in 45.64 seconds. Tommy’s Memory chased the pace four wide and got to the top of the lane 1 ½ lengths ahead of Mannington, but Trujillo then angled Mannington out, and the horse regained the lead from a tiring Tommy’s Memory in the final sixteenth of a mile.
Meanwhile, Dream Maestro was rallying from last place in pursuit of his first stakes victory, but he and jockey Manoel Cruz came up just short, as Mannington stopped the clock in 1:23.76.
“My horse was starting to get a little timid on the inside,” Trujillo said. “When that horse (Tommy’s Memory) passed me, I saw there was room to come out, and when I did, my horse started running again, and he just kept going.”
Mannington paid $5.80, $3.40 and $3. Dream Maestro returned $6.40 and $4.80 after finishing a nose ahead of Famous Patriot, who paid $4.80 to show. They were followed by Green Vegas, Unbridled Heat, Tommy’s Memory, Good General and Big Push.
Mannington has won eight of his 34 starts, and the $45,000 check he earned Sunday boosted his career winnings to $328,188. The horse, owned by My Purple Haze Stables, finished his 2009 campaign with a runner-up effort in a $60,000 claimer at Aqueduct in November, then won a $40,000 claimer at Gulfstream in January. Later that month, he finished second in an $80,000 optional claimer at Gulfstream before capturing a $62,500 optional claimer at the same track March 3.
Mannington has five wins and four runner-up efforts in 11 starts at Gulfstream. He’s also 3-for-5 at the seven-furlong distance. His current connections claimed him for $32,000 at Calder Race Course in December 2007.
“He’s like the barn pet,” trainer Terri Pompay said. “He has such a personality and loves to train. We claimed him in December of his 2-year-old season at Calder. He’s been up and down with age, and we even ran him for a tag when we first got down here, but he’s just gotten better and better since then.”
Dream Maestro, a 5-year-old son of Ocala Stud Farm stallion Concerto, has won three of his 28 starts but has finished in the money an additional 17 times. Bred by William Lussky, the gelding has earned $391,920.
Famous Patriot, a 5-year-old son of Repent bred by Brent Fernung, has won five of his 20 starts for $239,373.
– Photo of Florida-bred Mannington by Adam Coglianese
