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ART OFFICIAL AND Art
Official romps in fastest mile in Freehold Raceway history FREEHOLD, NJ - - Eight spots were up for grabs on Saturday in a pair of $ 65,475. eliminations for the 54th Cane Pace Final. In one elimination, Meadowlands Pace winner Art Official with Ron Pierce set a record for the fastest mile in Freehold Raceway history, finishing in 1:50.4. In the final, Pierce will be going for his fourth Cane win. The last time the Meadowlands Pace winner to also won the Cane Pace was in 1984 when On the Road Again did it. Trainer Joe Seekman will be going for his first Cane victory. Art Official, who supplemented to get into the elimination, won the Meadowlands Pace in 1:47.0, making him the fastest 3 year old ever. The last time the fastest 3 year old ever won the Cane Pace was in 1980 with Niatross. In the other elimination, Battle of Bradywine winner Badlands Nitro with Brian Sears took the lead in the stretch and beat out Major General (Andy Miller) who had been in front from the start. Both horses had paid the $ 35,000 fee to supplement into the race. Badlands Nitro trainer George Teague, Jr. 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 field for the Cane Pace Final: Art Official, Badlands Nitro, Major General, Lis Deo, U Smooth Talker U, Rudy Rednose, McCedes and Moon Beam. The $ 392,850 Cane Pace will be contested as part of a special Labor Day holiday card on Monday, September 1st. |