by Bob Heyden

No question Catello “Cat” Manzi, born on June 27, 1950, was one of the busiest men in harness racing history.

Ten years after his 2014 retirement Manzi is still well over 10,000 drives to the good with 95,690. Tony Morgan is next at 84,849 assignments.

Now 74, the “Catman” carved out a career like no other. Let’s take a look at some numbers and milestones from this Monticello, NY, native who came from a family loaded with driver-trainers.

After leading Monticello in 1974-75, Manzi made a move early on to become a fixture at The Meadowlands. He trained too, Snowball Express anyone?

His first million-dollar season was 1978. That same year, a race called the Coliseum Cup was held on the grass at The Meadowlands with only Manzis allowed. Cat didn’t win it but a relative of his obviously did.

Cat’s first drive in a million-dollar race came in the 1982 Wilson ($1,957.500, the third richest race ever held) with the longest shot in the field, Charlies Bunny, 76-1, who finished seventh.

The next year, 1983, was particularly frustrating for Cat who missed a neck with Hit Parade for Jerry Silverman in the $1,062,000 Sweetheart won by Shannon Fancy and then 20 days later (8/8/83) was a dirty nose off Carls Bird with second-choice Trutone Lobell (Second choice at 2.70-1 in the fifth richest ever race, the $1,700,000 Wilson after a three-length lead in midstretch!

Cat didn’t drive in a million-dollar race in 1984 or 1985 but resurfaced with Lachance Lobell (sixth) in the 1986 Governor’s Cup and then none until 1990 when he would drive in at least one per year until 1994. Cat got money with Cocktail Talk (fourth) in the 1991 NA Cup, finished third with Stormin Jesse in the 1991 Meadowlands Pace just a nose off of Artsplace for runner-up honors, was second with Blair Burgess’ longshot Driven By Design in the 1992 Pace won by Carlsbad Cam and then was third with Riyadh in the 1993 Meadowlands Pace (captured by Presidential Ball over Life Sign) a week after becoming the first sub-1:50 Pace elim winner ever going 1:49.4.

Cat actually holds the record for money won in all million-dollar events prior to winning one at $1.7 million plus.

He would have to wait 21 years for that elusive seven-figure score when he upset at 27-1 with Mantacular in the 2004 North America Cup.

He pinch-hit for John Campbell with Harmonious in the 1990 World Trotting Derby and won it in a career best 1:53.2 for a $600,000 pot and Harmonious was named Trotter of the Year.

Cat’s lone Breeders Crown score came with Winky’s Goal in 1992 for Chuck Sylvester in the 2YOFT. Six years later he would handle David Raymond, the runner-up to Muscles Yankee in the 1998 Hambletonian, also for Sylvester.

Fifth on the all-time wins list (14,812) it’s tough to fathom Cat was just 2-for-51 starting out in 1968-69 combined.

His breakthrough victory came in 2004 driving for Larry Rathbone in Canada’s richest event, but there was a two-year wait before Cat won the Meadowlands Pace (in his 10th try) with Artistic Fella. That colt became the first Pace winner ever to win both the elim and final in sub 1:49. It was even more significant for Cat since the colt’s sire was Pacific Fella, who back in 1998 became harness racing’s first ever 1:48.2 winner in the Dan Patch at Hoosier Park in their fifth edition.

Oops, I zoomed past the two world records Cat set in the 1990s, one on each gait. The fastest miles ever by the way, June 20, 1992 driving Artsplace (William Haughton prelim) to a 1:49.2 all-time race record. This was seven years after Nihilator’s 1:49.3 from Hambletonian Day in 1985 and the only time Cat drove him. Two years later, July 8, 1994, also at The Meadowlands, and this time driving the 4-year-old mare Beat The Wheel for Ron Gurfein, he came out of the Pine Chip pocket to score in an all-time trotting mark of 1:51.4.

Cat also won the richest ever DQ race, the 2000 Wilson ($703G) final where Whitefish Falls was placed first after The Firepan’s disqualification (first placed 10th).

Cat is the only driver in the 48-year history of The Meadowlands to pilot two $100 winners on the same card. On July 31, 1991 he won with Hundred Kisses ($100.60) and then with Fake Left ($191).

Some of the other top horses handled by Cat include Direct Current (Robert Apice trainee), Anxious Robby, Santa Royale, Nuclear Siren, Wesgate Crown and Syrinx Hanover.

He also handled McArdle for Chris Ryder.

“Cat helped me out quite a bit when I first started years ago at Freehold,” Ryder said. “A straight-up guy.”

Not only did Cat win the NJ Classic with Ryder’s McArdle but with his son McCedes too.

Cat was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Who’s the winningest driver in N.J. history? Cat Manzi. He had well over 11,000 wins just in the Garden State alone, with titles at all three tracks, Garden State Park, Freehold and The Meadowlands, as well as numerous NJSS races.

Cat also was an “HTA Driver of the Year” in 2005, at age 55, when his 727 victories led the way.

A simply amazing career.  No other jockey or driver in the history of this planet has ever started more times. Ten years into retirement his records hold. Happy birthday Catman!