Albertan superstar Divine Art rung another victory onto her streak, scoring a 16th consecutive win when taking the $12,500 Diamond Horse Alliance Fillies and Mares Free For All Pace on Sunday night (Feb. 5) at Cal-Expo.
Blue Star Mystic led to the first quarter in :28 but quickly faced a challenge from 1-5 favourite Divine Art up the backstretch. Though trainer-driver Gerry Longo chose not to clear the lead and instead towered over Blue Star Mystic as the pair raced side to side past a :57.1 half. Longo then called upon the four-year-old Outrageous Art mare to three-quarters in 1:25.1 and she promptly responded, putting away Blue Star Mystic and then coasting under a firm Longo grip in the lane to post a 1:53.2 victory to equal her lifetime best. Give Me The Dance rallied down the center of the track for second with Blue Star Mystic holding third and Pure Addition taking fourth.
Gerry Longo owns Divine Art, a now 20-time winner from 26 starts and an earner of $326,858. She paid $2.40 to win.
An emotional race preceded Divine Art's domination as driver Lemoyne Svendsen went a forceful mile to secure the victory in a $15,500 memorial named in honour of longtime friend and horseman Steve Wiseman, who passed in 2021 at the age of 53 after a battle with cancer. Svendsen steered Unfiltered, a Quentin Schneider-trained five-year-old gelding by Always A Virgin, to a 1:51.4 pillar-to-post victory and the fastest mile of the meet at Cal-Expo. QKS Racing owns Unfiltered, who paid $2.60 to win.