Art has become a star

He may have been ignored at the yearling sale, but Art Star is a standout now. A shrewd purchase by trainer John Marshall, Art Star is rated as the 3-1 second choice in the $70,000 Robert Suslow final on Friday night at the Meadowlands. He will start from post four in the night’s featured fifth race with George Brennan at the lines. Art Star heads into the Suslow final off a 1:52.4 score in the first leg of the series and a respectable fifth last week.

The 3-year-old gelding caught the keen eye of John Marshall and his wife, Susan, at the 2005 New Jersey Classic Sale and they were able to take him home for a bargain price.

“I bought him as a yearling at the New Jersey Classic Sale for just $4,500, and he was certainly worth what I gave for him,” John Marshall said. “He was a big, good-looking colt and, luckily, nobody bid on him. I don’t know why they ignored him. He’s by Arturo and maybe that’s one reason.

“We had him ready for the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes last year and he won his first start at the Meadows,” the Pittston, Pa., resident continued. “He was pretty good from the get-go and stayed consistent. Unfortunately, he wasn’t himself in the $100,000 final (on Sept. 16, 2006). He was parked a little ways, but Dave Palone had driven him two weeks before and said he wasn’t the same that particular night. Maybe he was a little sick. I quit with him right after that anyway.”

Art Star ended his freshman campaign with a record of three wins and three seconds in seven starts. Marshall brought the gelding back to the racetrack last month and raced him in the Matt’s Scooter Series at the Meadowlands. Not quite ready in his first two starts, Art Star did not advance to the series final. In his third start, however, he paced to a career best 1:52.1 in the Matt’s Scooter consolation on March 30.

“I’ve been quite happy with the way he has transitioned from two to three,” Marshall said. “He’s a big, tall horse now. It’s funny. He hasn’t been rough-gaited on the smaller track where I train here at Pocono Downs. I think the turns are a little too big for him at the Meadowlands. He kind of gets lost out there. It might look like George (Brennan) is going to lose him, but I don’t think he’d ever actually make a break. He just gets a little bumpy, that’s all. I’ve made some equipment and shoeing changes along the way. I had him scoped and it was a small amount (of blood), so he went on Lasix (March 23).”

Art Star was a well-rated 1:52.4 winner in the first leg of the Suslow Series on April 6. In last week’s second round, he was shuffled back to ninth heading into the stretch and rallied in the stretch to finish fifth.

“(In the first leg), he hung in there pretty tough,” Marshall said. “I put an open bridle on him and George (Brennan) said he was better because he can see more. He rated well and out-sprinted them home in :27.3, and I was proud of him. There isn’t a lot of speed in this series and it helps him because he can leave.” (Meadowlands)

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