After a couple of months away from the racetrack, speedy millionaire Tattoo Artist returned to action on Saturday (Feb. 26) at The Meadowlands and the five-year-old looms as a serious threat for the open pacing ranks.
With driver Dexter Dunn at the controls, Tattoo Artist powered through panels of :28.2, :55.4 and 1:23 in his first seasonal outing and then polished off the mile with a :27.2 closer to hold off pocket-sitting Nandolo N (Jason Barlett) by a long neck for the 1:50.2 decision.
Trained by Chris Ryder for Let It Ride Stables Inc., Boca Raton, Frank Cannon of Sanford, Fl. and Diamond Creek Racing of Wellsville, Penn., 2020 O'Brien Award winner Tattoo Artist (Hes Watching - Stylish Artist) sports a career summary of 20-4-6 from 57 lifetime starts with more than $1.1 million in the bank. He took his mark of 1:47.1 at the Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day last August, and is one of the fastest pacers in the history of Yonkers Raceway by virtue of his 1:49.3 score in an Open event last October.
Tattoo Artist's return could set him up for an appearance in the MGM Borgata Series (formerly the George Morton Levy) coming up at Yonkers, with the first leg slated for March 21.