Harness Racing Communications has reported that the connections of Meadowlands Pace winner Art Official will supplement the colt to the Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway.
Eliminations for the Cane Pace, the first jewel in the Pacing Triple Crown, will be Saturday (August 23) and the $300,000 final is Labour Day, September 1. The fee is $35,000 to supplement to the race. Declarations close 9:00 a.m. Wednesday.
"It seems like there's such a long gap to his next race; he's got a void in there to fill," trainer Joe Seekman said Monday about the decision to enter the Cane Pace. "And, he's earned it."
Art Official (by Art Major and out of Naughty Shady Lady) has won eight of 14 races and earned $987,039 this year. In addition to winning the $1.1 million Meadowlands Pace in a world record 1:47 over previously undefeated Somebeachsomewhere, the colt won the $500,000 Hoosier Cup and the $150,000 Monument Circle.
On August 16, Art Official won the $28,979 Horseman Stakes for three-year-old colt pacers at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis. Art Official, driven by 18-year-old Travis Seekman, the son of trainer Joe Seekman, won by six and a half lengths in 1:51.3 despite going off stride briefly on the backstretch.
"He jumped over a water puddle there," Joe Seekman said. "There was a little stream of water running across the track and he kind of jumped that and landed right back on the pace. He raced super. He's a good horse. He overcame a problem and still won pretty handy."
Art Official has six wins and three second-place efforts in his last 10 starts. He has never raced on a half-mile oval, such as Freehold Raceway.
"I don't think it will be an issue," Seekman said. "He trains on a half-mile track and has trained some good miles on a half. I don't think it's an issue."
(HRC)