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« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2007, 10:34:55 AM » |
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Saved from the USTA Newsroom
Del Manges, 79, western New York Hall of Famer, dies
July 30, 1999
-- by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs
Dover, DE --- Del Manges, one of the top trainer-drivers on the Buffalo-Batavia Downs circuit around for more than a quarter century, passed away from an aneurysm July 28. Manges, a resident of Harrington, Del. for the last 49 years, was voted into the Western New York Hall of Fame in the 1980s. Since 1978, Manges has remained in Delaware racing his horses at harness tracks in the the Mid-Atlantic region.
Horsemen at Governor’s Day races at the Delaware State Fair on Thursday, July 29 paid tribute to Manges before the first race led by Delaware Harness Racing Commission member Terry Johnson.
Born in Hutchinson, Kan. in 1920, he began his standardbred while in his teens moving eastward working in Ft. Wayne, Ind., North West Ohio and settled in upstate New York where during the 1960s and ‘70s, he became one of the leading horsemen of his era and the "catch driver of choice," when top stables shipped horses for stakes and top class events. He frequently drove Armstrong Bros. juveniles for Joe O’Brien and for John Simpson of Hanover Shoe Farm, when they required a catch driver. Among a goodly number of stakes wins, he best remembered driving pacer Meadow Mickey for Joe O’Brien, and Parula, for Stanley Dancer, to important victories.
Manges drove his last winner, a trotter Count Every Star, at Brandywine Raceway in 1988. He completed the driving phase of his career with 1,462 wins. At one time, Manges was the 8th leading dash-winning driver in the sport. For the last 11 years, he continued to train a modest stable.
Royal Deluxe, a top campaigner in the 1950s was his favorite horse from his stable. Other top pacers included hardhitting Andios, Avalon Jr., Lieutenant Frisco, Brother Herman. In 1964, he drove Rainwater in the 1964 Hambletonian.
In 1978, Manges, who previously Wintered in Harrington, moved his stable to Delaware year around, developed a number of quality performers on the Delaware Valley circuit including Ad Hoc, World Cup, Stargell Lobell, Marvin’s Garden, Black Douglas and World Exclusive, among them.
Over the years a number of noteable horsemen served apprenticeships under Manges. Among them: Ken McNutt, Jack Boring, Lester Hopkins in New York and Reig Outten, Jim Webb, John Moffett and Ron Teague from the Harrington area.
Current Harrington leading trainer Chuck Crissman, who started as a caretaker while still in his teens, upon hearing of Manges’ passing, donated his training share of purses won during Governor’s Cup day racing at the Delaware State Fair on July 29, to Manges’ wife, Dorothy.
All five of Manges’ sons have been involved in harness racing. Dean, his eldest groomed horses during high school and college. He now is a high school assistant principal in North Carolina. Sons, Randy, is general manager of the Kentucky Standardbred Sales Co., Brian, a former trainer-driver is an associate race starter at Dover Downs and Harrington while Gene, is a caretaker currently at Buffalo Raceway. Another son Larry, who lives in Wilmington, was a highly regarded trainer-driver during the 1980s before retiring from the sport.
Manges is also survived by his wife of 51 years, Dorothy, at home in Harrington and a daughter, Midge, in Ohio, as well as 10 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.
A viewing will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1, at Price Funeral Home in Harrington, Del. Funeral services are set for 10 a.m., Monday, Aug. 2.
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