He may not be as proficient as he once was, but Maltese Artist - and his $2 million career bank account - was good enough Saturday night to make his local return a winning one.
Outdrawing his seven rivals in Yonkers Raceway's $40,000 Open Pace, Maltese Artist and driver Yannick Gingras held off King Cat Anvil N (Jordan Stratton) by a head in 1:53.2.
Maltese Artist - back at Yonkers for the first time since tiring badly in May's $100,000 consolation of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series - was sent postward as the 3-4 wagering choice. He retook from King Cat Anvil N right after a :27.3 opening quarter-mile, then rated a :57.2 intermission before second choice Western Smoocher (Jeff Gregory) moved from fourth.
Maltese Artist threw down a 28-second third quarter to maintain his advantage, holding a narrow lead into the lane. He then kept King Cat Anvil N at bay, with Western Smoocher two lengths back in third, Mighty Cullen N (Jim Pantaleano) and Magnum (Dan Dube) completed the cashers.
For Maltese Artist, a seven-year-old Artiscape gelding trained by Mickey Burke for co-owners Sylvia Burke and James Koran, he returned $3.50 for his fifth win in 20 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $16, with the triple good for $86.50.
Eight pole-sitters won the evening's 13 races.
To view Saturday's results, click here.
(Yonkers Raceway)