Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Art Colony enters Saturday’s C$1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup with five wins and five second-place finishes in 10 lifetime starts. The son of Artsplace-Asleep Onthe Beach has yet to win a stakes final, but last year was second to Well Said in the Breeders Crown and second to Nebupanezzar in the Governor’s Cup. On June 13, he was second to Carnivore in a division of the Burlington Stakes. His total margin of defeat in those races was less than 1-1/4 lengths and he has never been more than a length from the winner in any of his losses.

On Saturday, Art Colony will start from post No. 7 with John Campbell in the sulky. Campbell has won the North America Cup six times, which is the event’s record.

“He’s very consistent,” trainer Casie Coleman said about Art Colony. “I haven’t been able to train him much the last two weeks because he’s been sick. But he’s healthy now. He couldn’t have trained any better (on Tuesday). He was absolutely awesome. He’s coming into the race about as good as he could.

“It’s anybody’s race,” she added. “All 10 of those colts have got a shot at it. I just hope I’ve got the best shot. Probably the best trip is going to win the race.”

Art Colony, owned by British businessman Tom Hill, finished second to Mr Wiggles in his North America Cup elimination. He was beaten by three-quarters of a length in 1:51.3.

“Almost every week this horse gives you everything he’s got, but John Campbell felt he kind of cheated on him a little bit, hung on him a little bit. He felt he had more horse,” Coleman said. “I trained him a good mile (Tuesday). He came a real snappy last quarter and he was real strong.”

Coleman and Hill purchased Art Colony for $157,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale. Art Colony’s half sister Where The Heart Is was a multiple-stakes winner and his mother is a half sister to millionaire Stonebridge Kisses. The maternal family includes a slew of six-figure earners such as 1989 Sweetheart champion Before Hours and multiple-stakes winner Kiev Hanover.

“As well bred as he was, I didn’t have him marked. I just happened to be walking by when someone else was looking at him and he made me do a double-take,” Coleman said. “I must have gone back five, six, seven times, trying to find something wrong with him because I didn’t believe a horse could be that perfect. There was nothing wrong with him, and that’s why we had to pay so dearly for him. His breeding is good, but there were so many well-bred horses in the sale. I’m just glad I saw him that day.”