Artful Way scored in the Open Pace for the second time in the last three weeks on Saturday night (May 21) at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
Kellogg Racing Stables' four-year-old gelded son of Artistic Fella faded on the front end in last Saturday’s installment of the $15,000 Open as the favourite after being used hard throughout. This week, driver Frank Coppola Jr. elected to sit the pocket with Artful Way, who tracked JK Panache (Wally Hennessey) throughout the 1-1/16 miles feature.
Artful Way popped the pocket turning for home and cruised past the race’s front-running favourite before stopping the timer in a dazzling 1:58.2 for the elongated distance after covering the mile in 1:51.2. JK Panache was the runner-up for the second consecutive week in the feature while Caution Signs (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) earned the show spot. Artful Way paid $11 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $40.20 and $349.50, respectively.
The win was one of two on the card for conditioner Jackie Rousse and one of three on the night for veteran reinsman Frank Coppola Jr.
(With files from Saratoga)