by Carol Hodes for NJSS

Artizina, who won 2006 Dan Patch Award as 2-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year, will start down the road of his 3-year-old campaign in Saturday night’s first leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes at the Meadowlands.

Three divisions, splitting 28 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, have been carded as races one, four and six. The 10-horse fourth race will carry a purse of $26,000 while the two nine-horse divisions are worth $25,400 each.

Artzina, who will be driven by John Campbell, drew post six in the final division.

The homebred son of Artiscape – Koutzina banked $486,229 with seven wins, one second and three thirds from 13 starts as a 2-year-old.

He captured the $175,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final last July 13, the $53,500 Goshen Cup and a Woodrow Wilson elim, all at the Meadowlands, finishing third in the $410,000 Wilson Final.

Artzina’s freshman campaign also included a Metro elim victory followed by a fourth in the C$900,000 final at Mohawk, and a lifetime mark of 1:51.1 in his Breeders Crown elim followed by a third place finish in the C$600,000 final at Woodbine.

Another highlight of his 2006 season was a trip to the winner’s circle in the $221,176 Matron Final at Dover Downs.

Trained by Dylan Davis, Artzina is owned by breeder Kalman Liebowitz of New York City in partnership with Marc Rubach of West New York, NY.

Artzina, making his first start of the year after a pair of qualifying miles at the Meadowlands, will be facing Ghee’s House [by Western Ideal], who won both the New Jersey Sire Stakes Green Acres Final and New Jersey Futurity at Freehold last fall, and Fresh Deck [Cam’s Card Shark], winner of five of nine starts this year, who was third in the $225,000 Berry’s Creek Final on May 5.

Yankee Skyscaper [Artiscape], who captured the C$900,000 Metro Final, will be making his 3-year-old debut in the first division and Watta Hotshot [Artiscape], the $160,000 Lou Babic winner, is among the standouts in the second division.

After Saturday’s opening leg, the New Jersey Sire Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts will take a break for the $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic [elims on May 26 and final on June 2] and resume with preliminary legs on June 9 and June 16 and a $175,000 final on June 23, all at the Meadowlands.

The field for the $25,400 first division of the New Jersey Sires Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, first race on Saturday, May 19 at the Meadowlands [from the rail out with listed driver]: Can’t Slay Me, George Brennan; Always A Virgin, David Miller; Mister Delaware, Cat Manzi; Art At Heart, Andy Miller, Beware of Darkness, Cat Manzi; Outsource, Ron Pierce, Friday Nite Lights, John Campbell; Yankee Skyscraper, George Brennan, and B Fifty Two, David Miller.

The field for the $26,000 second division of the New Jersey Sires Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, fourth race on Saturday, May 19 at the Meadowlands [from the rail out with listed driver]: Artist’s View, Brian Sears; Laughing Art, David Miller; Best Magic, Andy Miller; Twinscape, Yannick Gingras; Meritage Hanover, David Miller; Allamerican Karnak, David Miller; No Perfect Escape, Yannick Gingras; Bet The Aces, Ron Pierce; Artriverderci, Brian Sears, and Watta Hotshot, John Campbell.

The field for the $25,400 third division of the New Jersey Sires Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, sixth race on Saturday, May 19 at the Meadowlands [from the rail out with listed driver]: TJ’s Ideal, Brian Sears; Fresh Deck, George Brennan; Shark Lookin, Brian Sears; Southwind Majestic, Ron Pierce; Western Smoocher, Daniel Dube; Artzina, John Campbell; Poker Hat, George Brennan; Ghee’s House, George Brennan, and Radio City, David Miller.