Eight spots were up for grabs on Saturday in a pair of $65,475 eliminations for the 54th Cane Pace Final and World Record holder Art Official romped to victory in Freehold Raceway's fastest mile in history.
In one elimination, Meadowlands Pace winner Art Official and driver Ron Pierce rallied from off the pace to post a track record in 1:50.4. Lis Deo (Tim Tetrick) finished three and a quarter lengths back in second. Rudy Rednose (Brian Sears) and Moon Beam (Yannick Gingras) both secured a spot in the Final, finishing third and fourth.
Art Official - Cane Pace Elim
In the final, Pierce will be going for his fourth Cane win. The last time a Meadowlands Pace winner also won the Cane Pace was in 1984 when On the Road Again did it. Joe Seekman, who trains the son of Art Major, will be going for his first Cane victory.
Art Official, who was supplemented into the elimination, won the Meadowlands Pace in 1:47, making him the fastest three-year-old ever. The last time the fastest three-year-old ever won the Cane Pace was in 1980 when Niatross won.
In the other elimination, Battle of Brandywine winner Badlands Nitro and driver Brian Sears took the lead in the stretch and beat out pacesetter Major General (Andy Miller) in a 1:53 clocking. Both horses had paid the $35,000 fee to supplement into the race. U Smooth Talker U (Ron Pierce) and Mccedes (Daniel Dube) will also be competing in the Final with their third and fourth place efforts.
Badlands Nitro - Cane Pace Elim
George Teague, Jr. trains the son of Badlands Hanover. He will be going for his second Cane Pace win in three years, winning in 2006 with Total Truth. Teague was second in 2007 with Southwind Lynx. Brian Sears will be looking to repeat, winning his first Cane Pace in 2007 with Always A Virgin.
The $392,850 Cane Pace will be contested as part of a special Labor Day holiday card on Monday, September 1st.
(With files from Freehold)