by Joe Hartmann, for Plainridge Racecourse

Plainville, MA — Sylvia Burke, John Howard and James Koran’s Maltese Artist, who set the Plainridge Racecourse track record of 1:49.2 in winning the 2005 edition, will make his third appearance in as many years when he goes off as the 5-2 morning line favorite in the 2007 edition of the $75,000 Bert Beckwith Memorial Pace on Monday afternoon, September 3.

The 12th edition of the Bert Beckwith Memorial Pace will be the headline event on the Labor Day card at Plainridge that will also feature the $20,000 Ron Pasquantonio Memorial Trot as well the inaugural New England Legends races that will feature eight living members of the New England Harness Racing Wall of Fame which adorns the clubhouse wall at Plainridge.

In addition, Plainridge President Gary Piontkowski and General Manager Steve O’Toole will unveil the likeness of the late David Marshall, the latest member of the Wall of Fame.

Trained by Mickey Burke, who will be looking for his third consecutive Beckwith championship, Maltese Artist at age 6 is having the most productive year of his career. A member of harness racing’s top 10 for most of the season, Maltese Artist has already earned nearly $707,000 in ’07, almost half of his career total of $1.5 million.

A winner in 1:51.4 in his last start at Yonkers, Maltese Artist was second to Mister Big in the U.S. Pacing Championship at The Meadowlands and captured the $475,000 final of the Levy Memorial Series at Yonkers. Greg Grismore will get the assignment on Maltese Artist.

The complete field for the $75,000 Bert Beckwith Memorial Pace includes, in post order: Maltese Artist (Grismore), 5-2; Gold Dust Beach (Mark Beckwith), 7-2; Slickest Hanover (Bruce Ranger), 9-2; Francam (Ted Wing), 10-1; Rain Train (Bob Sumner), 8-1; Jag Star N (Ron Cushing), 5-1; All Over The Place (David Ingraham), 7-2; and Gimmebackmybullets (Denis St. Pierre), 12-1.

Post time is 1:00 p.m. Monday afternoon at Plainridge Racecourse.