Trust The Artist took top honours in the Open Pace for the second straight week at Alberta Downs on Saturday afternoon with a gate-to-wire romp for Lacombe's leading trainer Kelly Hoerdt.
Trust The Artist took the lead from the rail and raced past panels of :27.3, :56.1, and 1:24 en route to the one and three-quarter length 1:52.2 triumph for Hoerdt, who trains, drives and shares ownership of the eight-year-old Real Artist son with Blair Corbeil and Mike McAllister of Beaumont, Alta.
Smart Shark and Connie Kolthammer moved first up from third near the third quarter mark to advance into the second spot while Hilldrop Shady and Brent Grundy came on for third, both as the 9-1 longshots.
Trust The Artist, who has put together back-to-back wins in six seasonal starts, paid $5.40 to win as the odds-on favourite in the eight-horse field. The victory was his 44th lifetime and the lion's share of the $8,500 purse bumped his bankroll to $522,934.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Alberta Downs.