EQUESTRIAN April 2017 Page 19 Tom Pollack, Part Owner of 70 , is Primed for a Productive 2017 By Kimberly French connections and is a formidable program to put some money on Montenegro co-owner Michael Novosel Jr. foe on the Open circuit. him. I did and here we are years There is Montenegro, a fierce prior to her sale late last year. At 2 p.m on Monday, March At one juncture, she was on later. Doug and I are friends now competitor at Hoosier Park, who Crosby’s Clam Bake, the only 13, Tom Pollack not only had a nationally acclaimed five-race and laugh about that night all the amassed more than $250,000 for gelding of the lot, remains in train- his fingers crossed, but his toes winning streak against some of time.” Bendis and Pollack before being ing with Andrew Federico Jr., who too. His mare Medusa, the 2016 the most talented mares in the Pollack, who is the owner/ sold at last year’s is also responsible for campaigning Meadows Standardbred Owners sport. president and Chief Financial Sale at Harrisburg to enter Medusa when she is entered at Association’s co-horse of the “She has just been terrific Officer of the pharmaceutical the breeding shed. Then there Yonkers and the Meadowlands. year, was entered in the Blue- for us since we brought her company CCN America LP, pur- is White Metro, another classy The 7-year-old trotter has collected chip Matchmaker Series, the home,” Pollack said. “You chased a piece of his first horse Open mare that earned around nearly half of his career earnings of year’s first Grand Circuit event. could not ask for anything only seven years ago and hopes $250,000 for Bendis and Pol- $481,836 for Pollack, Bendis and Anytime a horse competes at more from her and that is why eventually to own roughly 100 lack after being claimed. Like Jack Piatt and always merits re- Yonkers Raceway, which is a we made her eligible to Grand . Montenegro, White Metro is spect from the betting public each half-mile oval, an inside post po- Circuit events this year. She is Through his association with conditioned on her forays in the time he places a hoof on the track. sition draw may very well mean probably better on larger tracks Bendis and another trainer/all- Midwest by Jeff Cullipher and “We did not intentionally go the difference between success like the Meadowlands rather around horseman, Jeff Cullipher, unlike her former stablemate, is out and pursue primarily pacing and defeat. than Yonkers, because she is Pollack has focused primarily an Indiana Sire Stakes victress. mares,” Pollack explained. “It Fortunately for Pollack and a big mare, but she races well on buying at auction or claiming Two other horses Pollack just happened that they were his mare, Medusa will leave anywhere you take her. We are horses that were already racing. and Bendis have cashed in upon what we were looking for at these from post five when the series looking forward to what the Several other horses he and his are Certified Ideal and Crosby’s sales, or to claim.” commences on St. Patrick’s season holds for her.” team have procured have grabbed Clam Bake. Certified Ideal won Day. headlines. more than $400,000 for them and (Continued on page 24) “I was just hoping and Intro to Racing praying she drew well,” said the Three decades ago, the last Venetia, Pennsylvania, resident. thing on Pollack’s mind was “It’s always tough when you are overseeing a stable of this mag- in against these kinds of mares, nitude. In fact, he had no interest but you don’t want to be on the in racing. The sport just happened outside at Yonkers with the six, to insert itself in his life and seven or eight hole. We staked consciousness in a very random her to the Grand Circuit this fashion. year and we want to start her off “I got hooked on this busi- right.” ness in the late 1980s,” he said. Medusa is just one of the 70 “I was working at a golf course head Pollack currently possesses and was very into golf, when part-ownership in. Not only may I kept being asked to go to the she be the most recognizable racetrack. I said no several times name in his sizeable stable, she and really knew nothing about also represents exactly what has . Finally I gave in made him so successful with this and after winning on some bets harness racing program. that evening I was hooked on the Pollack and the 6-year-old sport. mare’s co-owner and condi- “I have been ever since and tioner, Randy Bendis, plucked I always say it is Doug Snyder’s the daughter of Bettor’s De- fault because he just dominat- light-Mystical from the 2016 ed the Meadows that night. He Tattersall’s January Select Mixed won like six races and one of Sale at the Meadowlands for them from the nine hole. I did $65,000. With a career bankroll not know him or anything about of $443,412, Medusa has collect- betting, but my friend told me ed just shy of $250,000 for her whenever I saw his name on the

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