Berry's Creek field set

Artistic Fella and Real Mean Art won their respective elimination races Saturday night and will be joined by eight others who advance to the $225,000 Berry’s Creek final on May 6 at the Meadowlands

Artistic Fella powered to the lead in the stretch and drew away to a 2 1/4-length victory over Sandro Hanover in the first elim, pacing the mile in 1:51.2. Bono Bests was third.

Royal Man and West Bound Train also advanced to the final, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

Artistic Fella, driven by Ron Pierce and trained by Steve Elliott, won the $72,770 Suslow final in his last start and has two wins in six starts this year. At two, the son of Pacific Fella won three of four starts.

Owned by Joseph Alborano, Artistic Fella has career earnings of $108,735.

“Leaving the gate nobody was really going out there, and I wasn’t going to leave,” said Pierce. “I got away about sixth. We got luck because a couple of them mixed it up (on the front), and I got live cover that took me all the way into the stretch. I tipped off (Sandro Hanover’s) back, and he (Artistic Fella) closed strong. This colt is coming a long way.”

In the second division, Real Mean Art came first-up on the backstretch and pulled ahead for a head victory over Tuffofthetoughest. Cookerosa, the pacesetter, finished third.

Real Mean Art, driven by Brian Sears and trained by Ken Rucker, covered the mile in 1:51.

“I was following this horse who didn’t look too good to me,” said Sears, who has won a race on 35 consecutive programs at the Meadowlands. “I was afraid he was going to make a break. So I pulled a little earlier than I would have wanted to. He moved up okay. He’s been racing real good that way. I think he’ll be even better next week.”

Real Mean Art, racing for the Panhellenic Stable Corp. ,, has three wins, three seconds and three thirds in 11 starts this year and lifetime earnings of $106,121. He was second best in finals of both the Suslow and the Matt’s Scooter Series at the Meadowlands.

Also advancing to the Berry’s Creek final from the second elimination race were Alastor Hanover, who was fourth, and Cactus Creek, who was fifth. ---The Meadowlands

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