Pancho Martin and becoming a trainer by the age of 16. While he could not recall the name of his first winning horse in Cuba, he was racing Cuban horses in Ohio, Florida, and New England by the time he was 21. By 1951, Martin had moved to the United States and settled in New York. Some of his top horses include: Manassa Mauler, who won the Wood Memorial Stakes in 1959; Never Bow, the Brooklyn Handicap winner in 1971; Hitchcock, the Suburban Handicap winner in 1972; Autobiography, the nation's Top Older Horse in 1972; Rube the Great, who won the Wood
Manassa, Colorado Church, and a meetinghouse for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The oldest church in Colorado is located in nearby Conejos, about southwest of Manassa, near the town of Antonito. The community-at-large, and people from all over the San Luis Valley and beyond, celebrate Manassa Pioneer Days with a parade on two days, horse races, rodeo, motorcross races, demolition derby, fireworks, entertainment, barbecues, and 5K run. A carnival at Pioneer Days brings the Tilt-a-Whirl, bumper cars, a merry-go-round and other midway rides. Bandstand entertainment and vendor booths line Manassa's city park on Main Street. One of the oldest