Art Official wins in 1:49.4, Annieswesterncard in record 1:50.3

World record holder Art Official and freshman pacer Annieswesterncard provided trainer Joe Seekman and Sawgrass Farms a powerful one-two punch Saturday night, August 2 at Indiana Downs. Driven by Ron Pierce, Art Official cruised to a 1:49.4 win in the $150,000 Monument Circle while the Hall of Fame driver guided Annieswesterncard to a national season’s mark with a 1:50.3 score in a $76,000 division of the Elevation. Pierce would go on to record a driving triple, steering Ideal Danny to a 1:53.4 win in the second Elevation split.

Sent off as the 1-5 favorite in the night’s 11th race, Art Official got away mid-pack from post five in the stake for sophomore colt and gelding pacers. Vette Man and Trace Tetrick took the early lead, firing to a :26 opening quarter. Robin I Scoot was quick to move from post eight, brushing to the top on the backside before being shuffled by Corner Blitz and Ricky Macomber Jr.

As the field reached the half (:53.4), Pierce pulled from fifth and began to move forward. Second over in fourth at the three quarter pole (1:22.2), Art Official took command in the stretch. With very little urging from Pierce, the Art Major colt paced home in :27 to win by three and three-quarter lengths. Genuwine raced second and Vette Man rounded out the trifecta.

“I just wanted to win as slowly as I could and go an easy mile,” Pierce said afterward. “This horse is very special.”

With seven wins in 13 starts this season, Art Official added another $75,000 to his career bankroll, which stood as $1,001,883 coming into the race. The colt entered Saturday’s race off a spectacular 1:47 win in the $1.1 million Meadowlands Pace, upsetting favorite Somebeachsomewhere. Saturday’s time fell one fifth of a second shy of Indiana Downs’ track record, set by Foxy Maneuver in 2004.

Art Official may have missed a track record but Annieswesterncard smashed the mark for freshman pacers. Pierce kicked off his hat trick in the night’s 10th race, guiding the 4-5 second choice to the 1:50.3 victory for Seekman. Twice a winner in four career starts, the Western Hanover gelding set a national season’s mark and lowered the Shelbyville track’s best time of 1:52.1, previously set by Robin I Scoot last September.

“That’s a nice colt,” commented Pierce. “That two year old was a very big surprise. He was very professional; he didn’t do anything wrong.”

Suprizemeagain, undefeated in four starts coming into the race, cut the mile for Trace Tetrick, clicking off fractions of :27.3, :56.2 and 1:24.1. The favorite brought the field to the top of the lane, but Pierce and Annieswesterncard were too much, dashing home in :25.3. Pedro Island raced third.

Pierce completed the sweep with the Erv Miller-trained Ideal Danny. Fourth at the quarter, the Western Ideal colt took control before the half and went on to win by a length and a half. Estero Bay secured a second-place finish and Arch Nemeses raced third. Ideal Danny earned top prize in the $74,000 contest with a 1:53.4 clocking.

« Back