Posts for $1 million race

Simply stating post three “just seems like a good place” to start, trainer Steve Elliott chose that starting position for 7-5 morning-line favorite Artistic Fella during Tuesday afternoon’s press conference for Saturday’s $1 million Meadowlands Pace at the Meadowlands. Following Elliott’s choice, fellow Meadowlands Pace elim winner Perfect Union had post two picked by Richie Silverman of the Jerry Silverman Stable.

Artistic Fella, who will be gunning for his ninth straight victory (a streak that began last April while winning the Suslow final at odds of 17-1), will be driven by Cat Manzi, who will be looking for his first-ever Meadowlands Pace victory. The son of Pacific Fella has now gone off the favorite his last six starts, including his career-best 1:48.4 elim victory as the odds-on 2-5 choice.

Owner Joseph Alborano paid just $13,000 for Artistic Fella as a yearling. The colt has made all 16 of his career starts at the Meadowlands.

“When it was time for the horse to dance he danced,” said Alborano during the press conference. “He just keeps winning every week. I know he can’t win forever—the best of the best get beat—but he’s at the top of his game.”

Driver David Miller has never hit the board in seven previous Meadowlands Pace starts, and he will give it a go this year behind Perfect Union, who he guided to an upset 50-1 victory in his elim. The son of 1999 Meadowlands Pace winner The Panderosa, Perfect Union won his elim in a career-best 1:49. He has been installed the 5-1 third choice for the final.

The remaining eight posts were drawn by lot, and trainer George Teague is now hoping for a little déjà vu for the two colts he conditions and also co-owns. In the $1.5 million North America Cup, the winning Total Truth and fifth-place finisher Western Ace drew posts five and seven, respectively, and the duo landed the identical starting spots in the Meadowlands Pace. Ron Pierce remains in the sulky behind 4-1 second-choice Total Truth, who followed that North America Cup victory with a win in the Hoosier Cup, while Brian Sears will get the call behind 12-1 Western Ace.

Here is the complete draw for the 30th Meadowlands Pace:

PP Horse (driver) Odds
1 Shark Gesture (Mark MacDonald) 15-1
2 Perfect Union (David Miller) 5-1
3 Artistic Fella (Cat Manzi) 7-5
4 My Boy David (Andy Miller) 15-1
5 Total Truth (Ron Pierce) 4-1
6 Armbro Deuce (George Brennan) 8-1
7 Western Ace (Brian Sears) 12-1
8 Took Hanover (John Campbell) 10-1
9 Dave Panlone (Dave Palone) 15-1
10 Real Mean Art (Yannick Gingras) 15-1

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