by Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager

Columbus, OH — The 3-year-old pacing colt Art Official only won one race in the month of July, but the significance of that triumph lifted him to Horse of the Month honors as determined by the U.S. Trotting Association.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Art Official has been named July Horse of the Month by the U.S. Trotting Association.

The bay son of Art Major-Naughty Shady Lady scored in a world record 1:47 clocking in the $1.1 million Meadowlands Pace final, edging the previously unbeaten Somebeachsomewhere in one of the most talked about races in recent memory. Sawgrass Farms LLC owns Art Official, who is trained by Joe Seekman and was driven in his July starts by Ron Pierce.

Art Official opened up his month on July 12 in a $50,000 Meadowlands Pace elimination. He came first-over at the half against 1-5 favorite Somebeachsomewhere and wound up second, 4-1/2 lengths behind “The Beach,” who scored in a time of 1:48.3.

In the Pace Final on July 19, Art Official drew post six and was first on the outside as the field reached the opening quarter in :26. After clearing to the front on the backstretch, he was shuffled back to third at the half, as Somebeachsomewhere came three-wide to take a nose lead over first-over Bullville Powerful in a :51.4 intermission. Art Official was back to second behind the new leader at the 1:19.1 three-quarter pole and Somebeachsomewhere still led by three-quarters of a length at the head of the stretch. These two dueled to the wire with Art Official getting up on the outside to win by a neck.

The 1:47 clocking was the fastest mile ever by a sophomore pacing colt and was just one tick off Holborn Hanover’s all-age race record time of 1:46.4.

Art Official gets back into action on Saturday night (August 2) in the $150,000 Monument Circle at Indiana Downs.