Zippy Chippy's Next Battle to be Against Pacer

Zippy Chippy, the maiden who recently lost his 89th race at Penn National Race Course, will go up against a Standardbred pacer on March 17 at Freehold Raceway, a New Jersey harness track. Last year, Zippy Chippy lost a match race with a minor-league baseball player.

The Freehold Raceway publicity department said Zippy Chippy's opponent for the St. Patrick's Day match race will be renamed "Paddy's Laddy." The pacer will get a head start in the half-mile race. The pair will go once around the Freehold track. Catello Manzi, a winner of more than 8,500 races in his career, will drive the pacer.

On Feb. 17, 10-year-old Zippy Chippy, in his first start of the year, finished last of seven in a maiden test at Penn National. He finished more than 32 lengths behind the winner.

"I don't think he liked the wet track, and he really needed the race after being off since last September," the horse's owner and trainer, Felix Monserrate, said after the Penn National race. "I hope I get to run him back in a few weeks. I still think he can win a race."

The New York-bred gelding has finished second seven times and third 12 times. On one occasion, he almost won a race at the Tri-County Fair in Northampton, Mass.