With the 2008 O'Brien Awards less than two weeks away, the SC website will shine the spotlight on the finalists in each O'Brien division
.
Today we profile the two-year-old pacing colt division.
MAJOR IN ART – The son of Art Major - Miami Spice asserted himself as an early force in the freshman pacing colt division and held his form remarkably well over the course of a grueling rookie campaign.
Major In Art started his career with a bang by winning a $41,800 division of the Goshen Cup at The Meadowlands on June 26.
His next stakes engagement came in the Woodrow Wilson and, after finishing second in his elimination, the gritty colt came back with a hard-fought 1:50.4 victory in the $350,000 Final on August 1.
Major In Art then took his show on the road and came north to Canada where he swept both his elimination and the $1 million Final of The Metro Pace at Mohawk Racetrack in late August giving him the richest payday of his season.
Trained by young conditioner Justin Lebo, the colt would go on to finish third in the $820,000 Governors Cup at Woodbine Racetrack in late October and fourth in the Breeders Crown in his final start of the season on November 29 at The Meadowlands.
Major In Art hit the board in nine of 10 starts while banking just shy of $900,000 for his connections.
NEBUPANEZZAR - Conditioned by veteran trainer and O’Brien finalist Bob McIntosh, Nebupanezzar was a tour de force in the Ontario Sires Stakes as evidenced by his 7-for-9 record and almost $400,000 in earnings in the provincial program. He put an exclamation point on a brilliant rookie season by winning the $300,000 OSS Super Final on November 15 at Woodbine Racetrack.
The slick-gaited son of No Pan Intended - Western Wonder proved to be a major force on the Grand Circuit as well.
He captured his $40,000 Metro Pace Elimination on August 23 at Mohawk Racetrack and then finished a close second to Major In Art in the $1 million Final.
Later in the season, Nebupanezzar would turn the tables on that rival when he stormed from off-the-pace to post a dramatic 1:51.2 head victory in the $820,000 Governors Cup Final on October 25 at Woodbine.
The win was the biggest payday of the season for Nebupanezzar and helped vault him past $1 million earnings - putting him in some very elite company as one of the richest Ontario-bred rookie pacers of all time.
No question -
No question - Nebupanezzar!
1:51.2 victory in the Governors Cup Final, beating the best, while never seeing the rail... you can't ask for more.
Major In Art gets the edge.
Major In Art gets the edge. His race in the elimination of the Breeders Crown was unbelievable for a 2 yr old ...he was challenged almost all the way in that one and was actually beat in the lane and fought back like a champion and won it. That race reminded me of Eternal Camnations win in the Breeders Crown a few years back when Bunny Lake actually passed her in the lane and Cam fought back for the win!!!