Meadowlands: Manchego wins despite layoff, tough trip in thrilling Cutler Memorial

Manchego, making her first start of 2021 after being sick in her last qualifier on April 24, called on all her class and overcame a two-wide journey from post nine to win the $141,250 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial for open trotters on Saturday night at the Meadowlands in 1:51 1/5.

Guardian Angel AS (Tim Tetrick) left quickly from post three and took the field to the opening quarter in 26 3/5, but he would allow a parked Felicityshagwell S (Ake Svanstedt) to take over the top spot after that marker. With Manchego (Dexter Dunn), who had floated out and not been able to find a seat, inching up steadily two-wide in the backstretch, Tetrick moved back to the outside with Guardian Angel AS, and he took over command again after the 54 4/5 half.

On the far turn and to the 1:23 2/5 three-quarters Manchego kept grinding away to the outside of Guardian Angel AS, with Majestic Player A (Yannick Gingras) and Lindy The Great (Andy Miller) waiting to strike from second-over and third-over, respectively. However, Lindy The Great, who was sent off as the favorite, didn't fire in the lane, leaving Guardian Angel AS, Manchego, and Majestic Player A to decide it. Those three all put in determined efforts, but Manchego was able to forge her way to a narrow advantage in deep stretch and then held off Majestic Player A to score by a nose. Guardian Angel AS had to settle for third, Forbidden Trade (Bob McClure) rallied for fourth, and Reign Of Honor (David Miller) was the fifth-place finisher.

"I've seen every one of her races, and I was saying to my daughter 'she's getting tortured.' When she was still head-and-head at the half, I said 'if we get a check, I kind of think we're lucky.' I knew the way Dexter was sitting when we were turning for home, I said 'she's not done,'" said winning owner Barry Guariglia. "The words I was using I wouldn't say on here, but I was totally impressed, to say the least."

It was announced last year that Manchego would be retired, and she even went through a ceremony after her victory in the TVG Open Trot, but the decision was made by the connections to bring her back again.

"I guess really the idea to retire her back in the early fall/late summer was she had a swoon where she was having some issues, and we said we should finish the season and be done with it. Obviously, she rallied and won out the season," remarked Guariglia. "We still retired her, but Nancy (Takter) said she's really happier on the racetrack than she is in the paddock. Obviously, so far so good, to say the least."

Takter trains Manchego, a 6-year-old mare by Muscle Hill, for Guariglia's Black Horse Racing. This was Manchego's 34th career victory, and she has now banked $2,793,656. She was sent off at 4-1 and paid $11.60 to win.