MAMBA PROVES DEADLY AT BIG M

Sunday, January 25, 2026

A “mamba” is a group of snakes known for their speed and potent venom. The horse that bears the same name struck in lethal fashion nearing the wire Saturday night at The Meadowlands to record an upset victory in the featured $40,000-$60,000 claiming handicap pace, which went for a purse of $19,000.

Despite the fact that Mamba had won two in a row as a heavy favorite, the Joe Bongiorno student was sent to the gate as the 12-1 fifth choice in the wagering, due to the fact he hadn’t raced since Dec. 13.

But driver Vinny Ginsburg raced with confidence after speaking with his trainer.

“I talked to Joe a little bit earlier and he said the horse missed a little bit of time and if I could get him close with a lot of speed on the outside and just try to keep him buried up, he should be really good off that kind of trip,” said Ginsburg.

The field had a handful of speedballs, and they put on an electric display early as Sun Of A Show, Mamba, Effingham and Boston Bound were all away quickly for early position. Ginsburg backed Mamba in behind Sun Of A Show as Effingham sprinted up to take the lead at the quarter in a sparkling :26.3, leaving Boston Bound parked out for a second straight week.

There was no breather for Effingham, as Boston Bound was alongside to challenge at the half in a sizzling :53.4 on a night when temperatures were anything but, with a real-feel of 10 degrees.

Effingham shrugged off Boston Bound and had the point at three-quarters in 1:22, but was now a tired horse. Sun Of A Show, the 2-1 favorite, popped out of the pocket as they straightened away at the head of the stretch, allowing Mamba to advance along the rail. In deep stretch, Ginsburg found just enough room for Mamba, and the 6-year-old gelded son of Sweet Lou-Loving Caroline shot through the inside with plenty of pace to score by three-quarters-of-a-length over a resilient Sun Of A Show in 1:51.1. Soho Santorini A was third.

“Luckily, by the skin of my teeth, it opened up a little bit and it worked out,” said Ginsburg. “He was definitely loaded for sure. I was praying for a little bit of space.”

Mamba has now won 16 times from 99 lifetime outings, good for earnings of $361,964 for owners Bongiorno, Glenn Goller and Stephen Demeter. He paid $26.20 to win.

BIG PICK-6 POOL LOOMS: Twenty-cent Pick-6 players will have a nice pot to shoot for when racing resumes Friday night, as no winning tickets were sold on the wager, creating a carryover of $7,802.

Winner’s odds for the sequence were 12-1, 5-1, 4-1, 3-1, 5-2 and 15-1. Those with five correct selections collected $1,503.54.

A LITTLE MORE: Five drivers combined to win 13 of the 14 races on the card, as Ridge Warren led the way with four victories. He was followed by Ginsburg (three), Colin Kelly (two), Brett Beckwith (two) and Braxten Boyd (two). … Eddie Sager led the trainers, sauntering down victory lane three times. … All-source handle totaled $3,379,086, the first time that betting has busted the $3-million barrier at the Big M – and the entire sport – during 2026. … Sunday’s racing program has been canceled due to the impending snowstorm. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.

PHOTO: Mamba and driver Vinny Ginsburg won the Saturday night feature at The Meadowlands. (Credit: Lisa Photo)