Top colt to make soph debut

Artstanding made a name for himself last July when he upset the previously-unbeaten Western Ace in the $175,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes (NJSS) final for 2-year-old colt pacers at the Meadowlands. The son of Artsplace will make his sophomore debut for trainer Tom Fanning in the second of two NJSS splits Saturday night at the Big M, with the colt being listed as the 8-5 morning-line choice despite it being his first start of the year and having the outside seven post.

Last year Artstanding won twice in 11 starts, including that career-best 1:52.2 effort while upsetting Western Ace, and had $383,967 in earnings. Artstanding comes into Saturday’s race off a pair of late-closing qualifying efforts at the Meadowlands, finishing fourth on April 27 and then second on May 4, race-timed in 1:55 flat in both.

“I was happy with his qualifiers,” Fanning told harnessracing.com. “I’m not one of those guys who has to qualify a horse in 1:52 to prove he can go in 1:52. He has a good foundation in him and he had a good spring training while getting ready. He’s bigger and stronger. He’s always been a sound horse and he has filled out.”

Last year Artstanding raced most of his races at or near the front end, but in his two qualifiers in 2006 he closed from off the pace.

“Last year we were usually the second or third-best horse in the race and if you take off the gate there is no flow,” explained Fanning. “It looked like if we took off the gate we would have been first-over every race. He’s got good gate speed and we utilized it. It wasn’t our first choice but we never saw a race where there would be a flow.”

Fanning said the only words he’ll say to driver Mike Lachance before Saturday’s race is “good luck,” but that he believes Artstanding “can race either way; that’s the best thing about him. He can make a trip for himself whether he’s in front or behind, but I think he’s better when you one-run him from behind.”

Fanning said Artstanding, who was purchased from breeder Hanover Shoe Farms when sold as a yearling named J. Watkin Hanover by owners James Switlyk and Bob Gorney for $35,000, is fully staked in 2006. Included on his dance card are the New Jersey Pacing Classic, North America Cup, Meadowlands Pace, Little Brown Jug and Matron.

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